藏身在巷弄中的生活老工藝 The Old Crafts Hidden in the Alley

 

 

 

像竹一樣堅韌的竹藝師-楊杉原 

A tough and flexible bamboo-art craftsman - Suan-Yuan Yang
 

走在街區巷弄中，尋找傳聞中臺東最後一間竹器行……穿越老臺東人記憶中的一級商業區寶桑路來到了人稱「竹器街」的廣東路，這條街在民國六七十年代可是有十間竹器行呢！轉角的矮房外堆砌了成疊的竹竿，牆上的手寫字吊牌「竹器加工、廉售藤片」在風中搖晃，屋內傳出了清脆「咚咚咚」的聲響。他是楊杉原師傅，手拿鑿刀正打造著他最拿手的竹椅，也是目前臺東唯一一位仍在製作竹管家具的老師傅。

 

“Walking along streets and alleys, we were looking for the rumored last bamboo workshop in Taitung. Passing through Baosang Road, the first-class business district in the old Taitung residents’ memory, we came to Guangdong Road which was known as "Bamboo Ware Street". There were ten bamboo workshops on this street in the 70s and 80s! Cottages around the corner were surrounded by piles of bamboo. The handwritten sign hanging on the wall which reads "Bamboo Ware Process, Cheap Rattan Sheet" swayed in the wind. Crisp sounds made by carving bamboo came from the inside of the house. He is Master Suan-Yuan Yang, who was holding a chisel and building a bamboo chair which he is best at. Moreover, he is currently the only master who is still making bamboo furniture in Taitung.

 

 

 

 

 

竹管家具曾是早期人們生活重要的民生必需品，舉凡桌、椅、凳、床、櫃、架、箱、屏風都是以竹子來製作的，製作全程僅僅利用竹材而不使用其它材質輔助。竹製家具有著竹子吸濕、吸熱的天然特性，因此在炎炎夏日坐在竹椅上，清涼吸汗、冬天則讓人有溫暖感受，而且更是堅固耐用。

 

“Bamboo furniture was once the important daily necessity in the early days of people's lives. Such as tables, chairs, stools, beds, cabinets, shelves, boxes, and screens, they were all made of bamboo. The only material used in the entire process was bamboo. Bamboo furniture has the natural characteristics of good moisture and heat absorption. Thus, it feels cool and sweat-wicking sitting on a bamboo chair in the boiling summer, while it gives people a warm feeling in winter. It is also strong and durable.

 

 

 

「以前我們這條街可是有30位竹器師傅呢！那時候可是很忙的，尤其是過年前，大家都會跟我們訂菜櫥好過年，那個菜櫥很複雜的~有門、有抽屜。訂單多到我們店裡全部的師傅要一起熬夜趕工才有辦法做完。」楊師傅熱切的地講述過往，帶我們一起回想早年竹器街的熱鬧時光。

 

“In the past, there were 30 bamboo craftsmen in our street! We were very busy, especially before the New Year, when people would order kitchen cabinets from us. The cabinet with doors and drawers was very complicated. There were so many orders that all of us had to stay up all night to finish them.” Master Yang enthusiastically recounted the past, taking us back to the lively days of Bamboo Ware Street.

 

看著楊師傅製作竹椅凳的身影，專注的神情、俐落的手勢，雖年已八十卻仍寶刀未老。先以吋尺進行竹椅的尺寸丈量，這吋尺沒有數字，只有刻痕與線條，記錄著椅腳的高度、轉彎處、鑿孔處，一支尺就是這張椅子的設計圖，又稱作「篙尺」在傳統的閩南建築中也會利用這項技法作為建築的依據，有人說匠師就像是魔術師而篙尺是魔術棒，魔術棒一揮，就變出了一棟房子、一件家具。接著楊師傅拿起了鑿刀與木槌在竹管上進行鑿孔挖槽，刀與竹清脆「咚咚咚」的敲擊聲迴盪在整條街，可以想像早年師傅們日夜趕工的模樣，整條竹器街應該也敲響著獨特的竹管交響樂吧。不一會兒楊師傅拿了竹管在瓦斯爐上一燒，淡淡的竹香飄出，火烤後師傅一凹折，竹管便彎曲成幾乎直角，一瞬間竹椅的形體便出現了。

 

“Despite his age of eighty, Master Yang’s figure of making bamboo stools with a concentrated look and agile hand movements showed that he was still not over the hill yet. First, dimensions of the bamboo chair were measured with a ruler which has no scale but only indentations and lines on it. It was used to record the height of the chair's legs, the bends, and the position of the holes. This ruler was the blueprint of the chair, as known as the “Gau Scale”, and is used in the construction of traditional Minnan buildings. Someone says that a carpenter is like a magician and Gau scale is the magic wand. Wave the magic wand and a house and a piece of furniture pop out. Then, Master Yang picked up a chisel and mallet to engrave the holes and grooves on the bamboo. The crisp sound of chiseling echoed in the whole street. Imagine in the early days, where the masters worked day and night, the whole Bamboo Ware Street would sound like a unique bamboo pipe symphony. Soon later, Master Yang put the bamboo onto the stove, a fragrant smell started to come out. After the bamboo was roasted, the master bent the bamboo at a right angle, and a bamboo chair emerged in a flash.

 

 

 

 

「這是只有竹子才可以用的技術喔！木頭家具、藤做的家具都不行這樣，竹子烤火了以後有韌性，就可以做出各種形狀。」楊師傅引以為傲的說著竹子的特性，一邊將竹筒以刀細細剖成平面，以壓條固定成椅面。最後，將竹子削成竹釘以竹釘打入接角處固定，竹椅凳便在楊師傅俐落的手中完成了，一張小小的竹椅凳，幾乎包含所有竹管家具製作的重要包管技術。接合非常堅固牢靠，摸起來完全不刺手。

 

“This is a technique that can only be used on bamboo! Wooden or rattan furniture can't endure the tense process, but bamboo is tough after roasting, so it can be made into various shapes.” Master Yang proudly talked about the characteristics of bamboo, while cutting the bamboo tubes into flat pieces and fixing them with press strips to form the chair surface. Finally, the bamboo was cut into nails and pressed into the joints. A bamboo stool was completed by Master Yang’s agile hands. This little bamboo stool was constructed with most of the techniques of making bamboo furniture. The joint was extremely strong and secure, and it did not sting at all when touched.

 

原是澎湖馬公人的楊師傅，那個時候澎湖只有一家竹器行，因為喜歡竹子做的東西十四歲時便開始拜師學藝。很有天分的楊師傅，到店裡第一天便學會了別人學三個月還不太熟練地竹椅凳，很快的學成兩年便出師了。出師的楊師傅離開了澎湖來到台灣打拼，全台各地都有楊師傅奮鬥努力的足跡，去到了高雄、桃園、台北、花蓮、臺東等地的竹器行工作。除了家具之外更接了不少客製化訂做，製作養雞籠、櫥櫃、床舖等。

 

“Master Yang was from Magong, Penghu. At that time, there was only one bamboo workshop in Penghu. With the love of bamboo products, he became an apprentice to learn bamboo craft at the age of fourteen. Master Yang was so talented that he learned the techniques of making bamboo stools on the first day, while other apprentices cannot even craft a bamboo stool properly after three months of training. He finished his apprenticeship in only two years. After that, Master Yang left Penghu to make a living in Taiwan. We can find Master Yang's hard work all over the island. He has worked in bamboo ware shops located from Kaohsiung, Taoyuan, Taipei, Hualien to Taitung. Besides furniture, he has taken on many custom orders, such as chicken cages, cabinets, beds, and more.

 

 

 

 

“25歲的他看遍了台灣各地的風景，決定出去看看世界，因此開始了為期15年的跑船人生，在漁船上負責輪機維護的工作，足跡遍及15個國家，印度、東非、西非、南非、象牙海岸、大溪地、薩摩亞、新加坡、馬來西亞等地。看遍了世界的風景，40歲的楊師傅重拾起了他最拿手的一技之長「竹藝」回到了臺東。經歷了最繁華了竹器街時代，也見證了手工藝產業的興衰。

 

“At the age of twenty five, Master Yang had seen most the scenery in Taiwan. He decided to go abroad and explore the world. He started a 15-year life as a sailor. On fishing vessels, he was responsible for engine maintenance. He has set foot in fifteen countries, India, East Africa, West Africa, South Africa, Ivory Coast, Tahiti, Samoa, Singapore, Malaysia, and so on. After viewing lots of the scenery in the world, Master Yang, at the age of forty, picked up his specialty ”bamboo art” again and returned to Taitung. He has experienced the most prosperous era of Bamboo Ware Street and witnessed the rise and fall of the handicraft industry.

 

「其實我很潤啦！潤(韌)性的潤(韌)！雖然膝蓋不像以前一樣了，希望可以做到做不動為止！」楊師傅突然的自白像是為自己與竹添加了完美的註解，像竹子一樣子韌又有彈性的去到各種地方嘗試後依舊保有初衷地堅持著。

 

“Actually, I am very flexible! Although my knees are not as strong as they used to be, I hope I can keep working until I can't move!” Master Yang's sudden confession presents a perfect interpretation of himself and bamboo. Tough and flexible as bamboo, Master Yang still persists in his original intention after traveling and exploring in many places.

 

文/吳紀昀 

 

 

Information box

楊竹器加工店 Yang Bamboo Ware Processing Shop

地址 Add｜台東縣台東市廣東路119號  No. 119, Guangdong Road, Taitung City, Taitung County

電話 Tel｜089-326754

歡迎各位向楊杉原師傅訂製竹家具喔！

You are welcome to order bamboo furniture from Master Suan-Yuan Yang!