Zhu Sansong

CHINA, Shanghai; Ming dynasty

Zhu Sansong was born into a family of bamboo carvers in Jiading, Shanghai. His grandfather was Zhu Songlin, the founder of the Jianding school of bamboo carving, and Zhu Xiaosong was his father. When Zhu Sansong himself became a well-known bamboo carver, the family became known as the Three Zhu’s of Jiading, or the Three Songs of Bamboo. Zhu used his knife skillfully, as if it was a painter’s brush. His carvings of landscapes and figures show a simplicity in form and delicacy in carving, reminiscent of the art of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). His original, distinctive carvings of birds and flowers had a great influence on other artists. His works include various brush holders and arm rests decorated with crabs, toads, and other animals. His carving of Hanshan and Shide in a Boat is kept at the Palace Museum in Beijing. A Brush Holder in the shape of a lotus leaf with a crab on it is kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei, Taiwan.