Chinese bamboo painting for collection
In memory of my teacher's teacher Pu Xinyu 溥心畬
- A cousin of the Last Emperor of China, Puyi (Pu Yi)
- PhD in Biology and Astronomy from Berlin University
- Hailed as "The Number One Landscape Painter of the Northern School", "The Last Literati Painter of China", etc.
- Lived an unhappy life with deteriorating health due to family scandals in Taipei
- His peer Zhang Daqian exceeded Picasso and Van Gogh in auctions in 2011.
Chinese bamboo painting for sale - on premounted scrolls
Ready to hang wall scrolls (medium size, non-silk margins)
You may also frame the artwork after removing the hanging rods.
Item Name
Inner picture 22 x 39 cm
Whole scroll (including margins and the top and bottom rods): 14 x 28 inches
The margins are actually paper that looks like silk.
Add your first name (add $40) or full name (add $70) at top right or top left.
Blank scrolls (pre-mounted scrolls) are not customized. There are varieties of designs and qualities on Amazon.
Free shipping in the U.S. with USPS signature confirmation. Ship within 36 hours after payment is received.
顧盼生輝 2026.5.19
$900
To describe bamboo: Swaying and radiant in the breeze.
To describe a person: This Chinese idiom describes a person, often a woman, whose eyes are incredibly captivating, bringing brilliance, life, and charm to their facial expressions whenever they look around or make eye contact.
Bamboo UNTITLED 2026.5.19
$800 or best offer
When time is available, this piece with Zen spirit can be remounted with one or two silk brocades to be a higher quality scroll.
冰霜歷盡 心不改 2026.5.19
$1500
Despite enduring frost and snow, my heart remains unchanged.
"Enduring the bitter cold, my resolve never wavers." (Emphasizes personal grit and determination)
This is my favorite piece among all the pieces I created on May 19, 2026. It fully represents my mindset. The tone of the icy look bamboo stems and leaves implies it is winter time. The scattered strokes of the withering stem also convey the second bamboo's strong will and promising prosperity in the spring.
冰霜歷盡心不移（改）出自明代名臣于謙的詠物詩《北風吹》
修篁獨逸群 2026.5.19
$1100
The slender bamboo stands gracefully and surpasses the crowd.
The tall, graceful bamboo is uniquely peerless among the crowd.
Symbolism: In traditional Chinese culture, the bamboo (篁) symbolizes integrity, resilience, and noble character. The phrase paints a picture of a bamboo that braves the snow and reaches for the clouds, maintaining its unique, distinguished purity (獨逸群) even in a chaotic world.
勁節凌雲 2026.5.19
$1400
Unyielding integrity reaching the clouds.
Resolute character soaring to the skies.
The story of painting bamboos in red:
Su Dongpo wanted to paint bamboos, but had no black ink readily available. Instead, he picked up cinnabar (a bright red mineral) and began painting with that. When someone questioned him, pointing out that bamboo does not exist in red, he famously replied: "There is no black bamboo in this world, so why can't I draw red bamboo?".
Expected number of listings by July 2026 is 10 pieces.
Ship within 36 hours after payment is received
All pieces listed here are backed (mounted, glued) with another sheet
Framing recommended - when the pictures are stretched, glued, or taped from the four corners, they will be nearly 100% wrinkle-free.
Item Name
Price in USD
Prices are based on achieved artistic levels, not based on sizes.
Click here to view the meanings of the stamped seals.
Please do click to view the detailed pictures of this item on Facebook before making a payment. The pictures will show all the corners including front and back sides of your purchased item in the Comment area and its dimension in inches and cilimeters.
不動心 (Fudōshin, ふどうしん) translates directly to "immovable mind" or "unshakeable spirit". It describes a profound state of mental equanimity, courage, and steadfastness. It means maintaining a calm, unwavering focus and keeping a cool head even when facing extreme pressure, fear, or adversity.
不動心 is a very popular phrase for Chinese and Japanese calligraphy, martial arts, philosophy, and Shodo.
猛勁不虛 2026.4.9
$500
Depending on the context, 猛勁不虛 generally translates to "the fierce effort is not made in vain" or "putting forth intense energy with tangible, worthwhile results."
猛勁 (měngjìn): Intense energy, fierce effort, or a sudden burst of power.
不虛 (bùxū): Not in vain, not wasted, or truly worthwhile.
Martial Arts / Sports: "Vigorous strikes that do not miss their mark." (Drawing from the idiom 不虛發, meaning every strike or arrow lands effectively).
Bamboos have noble character and steadfast integrity.
This picture has no margin, but is 100% wrinkle free. There is another sheet attached (glued) at the back.
水清壽考 2026.6.17
$1500
As the man is enjoying fishing on a boat with peace of mind by the bamboo grove, he will have a long life.
水清: Literally "clear water," representing clarity, purity, and peace of mind.
壽考: An ancient term for longevity and long life.
清音伴翠篁 2026.June.17
$1800
Clear sounds accompanied by emerald bamboo or Melodious tunes amidst lush green bamboo.
This poetic expression beautifully captures the serene and harmonious atmosphere of nature, blending auditory and visual elements.
清音: Clear sounds, melodious tunes
伴: Accompanied by
翠篁: Emerald or lush green bamboo
By far, this is my favorite work of bamboo in a musical sense.
The top left seal says: 琴韻超天 (The melodic charm surpassing the Heavens.)
Reference: Japanese painter Katsushika Hoku
淡而彌堅 2026.5.2A2
$400
The simpler, the stronger.
The more mundane, the more enduring.
淡而彌堅 implies that something (like a relationship, friendship, or taste) becomes more resilient, profound, or firmer over time despite being understated, simple, or calm. It is often used to describe deep friendships that do not rely on constant dramatic emotional displays but grow stronger through quiet reliability.
淡 (Dàn): Mild, light
而 (Ér): Yet, but, but also
彌 (Mí): More, increasingly
堅 (Jiān): Strong, firm, solid, enduring
不可居無竹 2026.5.2B1
$300
不可居無竹 (Bùkě jū wú zhú), a famous quote by Song Dynasty poet Su Dongpo, is commonly translated as: "One cannot live without bamboo" or "Better to live without meat than to live without bamboo". It emphasizes that a refined life needs nature and elegance (bamboo) over material comforts (meat).
Full Context translation from 《於潛僧綠筠軒》:"Rather eat without meat than live without bamboo. Eating without meat causes thinness, living without bamboo breeds vulgarity."
This title 立根原在破岩中 symbolizes resilience, strength, and overcoming adversity by finding strength in difficult circumstances. Shared in FB group.
Common Translations:
Roots already taken deeply into creviced rocks.
In the chasm of a rock, it plants its root so deep.
立根 (lì gēn) To establish roots; to set a foundation
原 (yuán) Originally; inherently
在 (zài) In; at
破岩 (pò yán) Broken rocks; creviced rock; chasms
中 (zhōng) Inside; within
一心同德 (yī xīn tóng dé) can be translated to emphasize unity and shared purposes/values:
- Of one heart and one mind
- United in purpose/will
- Solidarity / Unite as one
迎春 (yíng chūn) means "to welcome spring" or "welcoming the New Year". The postures of the bamboos' new leaves and stems signify the vitality of the spring.
Expected number of listings by June 2026 is 20 pieces.
Ship within 36 hours after payment is received
Not backed (mounted, glued) with another sheet
Framing recommended - when the pictures are stretched or taped from the four corners, they will be nearly 100% wrinkle-free.
超以物象 (often seen alongside "超以象外") translates to English as "transcending physical forms" or "going beyond mere physical objects". In English art and literary criticism, this concept is also expressed as "moving beyond tangible representation" or "transcending the material world."
Chinese bamboo painting on premounted scrolls
Ready to hang mini scrolls with silk margins
You may also frame the artwork after removing the hanging rods.
Item Name
Whole scroll (including margins and the top and bottom rods): 4 x 15 inches
The margins are real silk.
Bamboo on red paper - $150 per piece in this group
All pieces listed in this group are NOT backed with another sheet
Painted on red paper with dragon, phoenix, or decorative prints. Ship within 36 hours after payment is received.
Item Name
Each piece is between 16 x 32 and 17 x 33 cm.
Included: Joshua's signature
Add your first name at top right or top left (Free).
These red paper is more rigid and is heavily dyed with red pigment. So, there is less wrinkle after writing and/or painting.
There is no sheet attached (glued) at the back.
Free shipping in the U.S. with USPS signature confirmation.
VIrtue & proverbs of Bamboos
Chinese bamboo painting symbolizes the ideal scholar's virtues: integrity, resilience, humility, and strength. As one of the "Four Gentlemen," bamboo represents uprightness (straight stem), modesty (hollow heart), and endurance (green in winter). It highlights adaptability—bending, but not breaking—reflecting moral fortitude and inner strength.
On Humility: "Be like bamboo. The higher you grow, the deeper you bow." — Chinese Proverb
On Resilience: "The bamboo that bends is stronger than the oak that resists." — Japanese Proverb
On Flexibility: "Notice that the stiffest tree is most easily cracked, while the bamboo or willow survives by bending with the wind." — Bruce Lee
On Inner Strength: "The human capacity for burden is like bamboo—far more flexible than you’d ever believe at first glance." — Jodi Picoult
Joshua's bamboo paintings - for sale soon
Know the White & Keep the Black 知白守黑 2026.4.7A1
知白守黑 (zhī bái shǒu hēi) is a Taoist idiom from the Laozi, meaning to understand what is bright/pure but maintain obscurity/humility.
Common English Translations:
Know white, keep black (literal)
Know and observe all but stay obscure
Be aware of the bright, but abide in the dark
Embrace humility despite knowledge
Contextual Usa
知白守黑 (zhī bái shǒu hēi) is a Taoist idiom from the Laozi, meaning to understand what is bright/pure but maintain obscurity/humility.
Common English Translations:
Know white, keep black (literal)
Know and observe all but stay obscure
Be aware of the bright, but abide in the dark
Embrace humility despite knowledge
Contextual Usage:
Philosophy: A Taoist approach to life (from Dao De Jing Chapter 28: "知其白，守其黑，為天下式").
Art/Design: Used in art to describe the balance of solid and void, or in "Know White, Keep Black" calligraphy.
Price will be added later.
Estimated $600 with backing.
Need to remount and fix some corners.
To be titled
Price will be added later.
To be titled
Price will be added later.
To be titled
Price will be added later.
To be titled
$250 without mountning
To be titled
Price will be added later.
To be titled $300
Zen heart, affinity with bamboo 禪心竹緣
Price will be added later.
Zen heart, affinity with bamboo 禪心竹緣
Zen heart, affinity with bamboo 禪心竹緣
Batch 2025.6.16
Price will be added after inscription, seal stamps, and mounting.
Estimated price: $700 with mounting included
Lucky and long life
Lucky and long life
Sold
Ship within 36 hours after payment is received
This is the item name.
This is the item name.
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Prices are based on achieved artistic levels, not based on sizes.
Please do click to view the detailed pictures of this item on Facebook before making a payment. The pictures will show all the corners including front and back sides of your purchased item in the Comment area.
To be titled
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Price will be added later.