Bamboo crabs and ear of grain carved in the round

In this figure of a bamboo root carved in the round, a craftsman has captured a crab holding onto ears of corn with all its might. The carving is detailed and delicate. Turning the crab over, we see the ears of corn circling beneath it.

The Chinese characters for "ears of grain" and "crab" together form a homophone for "harmony". This bamboo carving thus symbolizes peace and auspiciousness. On the other hand, the crab is also a traditional symbol for success in the civil service examinations, while reeds are marked by an abundance of seeds. Pairing up with the bamboo lotus, ears of corn and a crab have thus become a symbol for consecutive successes in the civil service examinations, a perennial wish of the traditional Chinese literati.

Bamboo root carving in the round flourished in the Ming dynasty and began to fade out in the mid-Qing. A bamboo root would be carved from the top, the bottom, and the four sides layer by layer until it roughly resembled the object of representation. Details would then be articulated, and the surface polished. A carving in the round can be viewed and appreciated from all angles.