BAMBOO SLIP - PREFACE TO THE POEMS COMPOSED AT THE ORCHID PAVILION

Dear loving readers,


This post I am going to brief you the historical background of the bamboo slip, that is hanging at my present tea corner. To view previous post of my present tea corner, please click at the title of the post and look at photo No. 4




Bamboo slip was a writing material that was initially used in ancient times in China, from the Zhou Dynasty and Warring States Period to the Wei and the Jin Dynasties. It was widely used in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period.


Paper was already used extensively around the 4th century and replaced Bamboo slip as the primary writing material. To form a bamboo slip, an article is written with a brush on several long, narrow, pared slices of bamboo. Only one line of words is written on each slice. The slices are then tied together to form what is called the "bamboo slip."


This book form was typically used for writing essays. Nowadays, bamboo slip written with Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion has high artistic and decorative value, so it is an excellent choice to be a collection or present.


Preface to the Poems Composed at the Orchid Pavilion is written by Wangxizhi, a great calligrapher in the Jin Dynasty. The preface describes the writer and his friends gather here at the orchid pavilion in Shanyin County, Guiji Prefecture (modern day Shaoxing) for the Spring Purification Festival, at the beginning of March in the ninth year of the reign of the Emperor Mu of Jin Dynasty (353).


All of the prominent people ranging from old to young here to talk about painting, calligraphy, and literature. This is an area of high mountains and lofty peaks, with an exuberant growth of trees and bamboos and clear running streams reflecting the sunlight as the water flows past both sides of the pavilion.


If you are a Chinese culture lover, like me. Then you may have great interests in collecting bamboo slips written with Chinese classical works.


I bought this piece of the collection in China a couple of years ago.


You will definitely have more fun and appreciation of your collection especially when you know of its historical value.


Have a lovely day,


James Oh