Sencha to Sculpture: The Evolution of Japanese Bamboo Art to the 1960s Closing Soon at TAI Modern
From left to right: Kobayashi Minminsai IV, Charcoal Basket for Sencha Tea Ceremony, 1862 to 1878, 7.5 × 5.25 × 5.25 in., Kobayashi Minminsai V, Charcoal Basket for Tea Ceremony, 1878 to mid 1880s, 4.75 × 10.75 × 10.75 in., Kobayashi Minminsai II, Flower Vessel, 1791 to 1830, 8.25 × 7.5 × 7.5 in., Kobayashi Minminsai I, Ohanaike (Flower Vessel), 1770 to 1791, 14.75 × 8.75 × 7.5 in., Kobayashi Minminsai VI, Bamboo Basket, mid 1880s to late 1910s, 4.5 × 12.25 × 11.25 in., Kobayashi Minminsai III, Round Sweets Box for Tea Ceremony, 1830 to 1862, 4.5 × 11.5 × 10.25 in.
There’s still time to see Sencha to Sculpture: The Evolution of Japanese Bamboo Art to the 1960s at TAI Modern before it closes Saturday, October 10. Featuring nearly 50 works, the exhibition traces bamboo’s evolution from tea utensils to sculptural art, including a signed basket by Kobayashi Minminsai I (d. 1791) that predates the long-credited first signer, Hayakawa Shokosai I—offering a fascinating new perspective on the medium’s early history!
