C058 - Collector's item: a traditional carved bamboo rootknob stick depicting (I think) a sorcerer conjuring up a dragon.
Approx. dimensions:
Overall length 36.25" / 920mm
Diameter of shaft 1.12" / 28mm,
tapering down to 1" / 25mm
Light to medium weight, but very strong.
Here we have a very sturdy stick made from a thick piece of bamboo complete with its root-knob, forming a very comfortable handle. This example obviously has considerable age, and has acquired a beautiful patina. When it came into my possession, it still had its original iron or steel ferrule. It appears the original construction would have involved a solid plug of wood, bone or other material inserted into the hollow end of the bamboo; the open-ended metal ferrule would have been driven onto the tapered end to protect the tip and hold everything together. However, the plug was missing, leaving the hollow end unsupported and open to the elements; the ferrule took the brunt of every contact with the ground, leaving a very battered, rusty and jagged edge at the bottom. It really didn't seem like a good idea to leave it in this downright dangerous condition, yet I wanted to preserve as much as possible of the original material.
I therefore cut about 10mm off the end of the ferrule to get back to solid metal, filled the hollow end of the bamboo with an epoxy/filler mix, fitted a piece of cow horn to the tip, and inserted a length of stainless steel rod for reinforcement and to protect the horn from wear. The remaining rusty metal was sanded down and polished up. To my mind this treatment has improved the appearance considerably and given the stick a new lease of life. Anyone who would prefer to have a jagged, sharp-edged piece of rusty metal on the end of their stick is, of course, welcome to disagree with me.
The typical Japanese bas-relief carving depicts a tough-looking character dressed in a gown covered in a very fine "squiggly" pattern. This detail would have been achieved by scratching the surface very lightly, rather than carving it, and filling this and the rest of the detail work with a black pigment (ink?) to make it stand out. His neck and waist are festooned with what appear to be leaves.This presumably has some symbolic relevance, helping to identify the character and the scene being depicted. It suggests to me that he might be some kind of sorcerer or magician.
He is holding out in front of him a small dish or bowl. I reckon this contains burning embers, and a splendidly fierce-looking dragon is materialising in the smoke rising from them (with a dash of red ink to indicate his fiery breath). Well, that's what it looks like to me, anyway...
An outstanding example of the Japanese stick-carver's art.