Japanese, Japan

Bamboo possesses many virtues that may be referenced according to the other natural subjects with which it appears. Its resilient strength and flexibility made it a suitable material for fences, baskets, pipes, brooms, and much more. Its strength also represents constancy and honor. When it is depicted along with pine and plum, it becomes one of the “Three Friends of the Winter.”

Stencils were utilized for a resist-dyeing technique known as katazome, wherein rice paste is applied to block specific areas from taking dye. This results in patterns with large voided areas and precise designs. The stencil concept was adapted by designers in France in the late 19th century and eventually became the prototype of the silkscreen technique.