A microcosm of traditional culture and handicrafts
Print Edition
In the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), aristocrats and wealthy merchants liked to hire overweight servants so they could roll wooden or bamboo birdcages back and forth on their flabby bellies.
The friction of the bamboo or wood against the skin made the cage look like as if burnished by sandpaper. Even better, the cage had a mild natural luster, enhanced if the servant sweated profusely.
Appreciation for birdcages peaked during this period. And beyond homes for birds, the cages became collectors’ items.
“A well-made birdcage is a microcosm of Chinese traditional culture and handicrafts,” William Xue, a veteran collector of birdcages, tells Shanghai Daily.
“The hook involves a gilding technique of iron or bronze art,” he says. “The frame requires complex crafts in processing wood or bamboo. Inside the cage, there are the porcelain bird feeders, and outside, the curtain used to cover the cage is embroidered with delicate patterns.”
Seven years ago, a birdcage produced during the reign of Emperor Qianlong (1711-99) in the Qing Dynasty sold for 13.4 million yuan (US$2.2 million) at the Sungari International Auction House.
“Today, a new quality bamboo birdcage costs at least 4,000 yuan,” Xue says.
A master craftsman usually has some sort of identifying mark on the cage, which makes the price even higher. Such cages often have luxuries like rosewood, ivory and refined bamboo, blue and white porcelain feeders, and silver hooks.
Antique dealer Henry Ma, 38, takes down a cage from the top of his tea cabinet and looks at it proudly.
It is constructed with very fine red sandalwood rods in a straight horizontal frame. The cage is suspended by an inscribed bronze hook.
A short ivory beam carved with a dragon shows where to open the door. The cage is fitted with jade bird feeders and three perches. Unlike most of the circular birdcages, this one is cubical.
“I bought this six years ago,” he says. “It has been always an ornament at home, one of my favorite collectables. I have never raised a bird in it. Both the craftsmanship and the materials are too valuable for that.”
He adds, “Having a birdcage like this, to be showcased, is said in traditional culture to bring prosperity.”
The cage is in a typical Shanghai-style. Since living space was limited, especially in the old shikumen (stone-gated) houses, locals invented square cages that fit in more easily.
“In the past, if you went to the park in the morning, you would see older men carrying a shoulder pole,” Xue says. “On each side of the pole, several birdcages were hanging. Since they were cubical, they could be easily carried.”
Famous birdcage production regions, including Sichuan and Guangdong provinces and Tianjin, didn’t adopt the squared style.
“Different areas feature different styles,” Xue explains. “For example, the Tianjin cage had a simple design without ornamentation. Birdcages in Sichuan are usually decorated in relief with scenes of Chinese traditional literature.”
Xue have been collecting and trading birdcages for 20 years, from the most ordinary ones to top-quality cages. He says birdcage collecting dropped off sharply with the advent of SARS and bird flu.
“Also, young people in Shanghai are too busy to enjoy the fun in raising birds and appreciating the cages,” he adds.
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