Xuhang straw-woven cup holders exported in the 1980s are on display at the Shanghai Straw Craft Cultural and Creative Museum in Jiading district. [Photo/jiading.gov.cn]
A collection of straw-woven cup holders exported overseas by the former Xuhang Straw Weaving Factory in the 1980s is now on display at the Shanghai Straw Craft Cultural and Creative Museum in Xuhang town, Jiading district.
Made more than 40 years ago, the cup holders feature exceptionally fine yellow grass and precise weaving. The strands are about one-third as thick as those commonly used in straw-woven cup holders today, while the patterns remain clear and the weaving tight even after decades of aging.
Xu Yunzhen, a veteran Xuhang straw-weaving craftsperson who worked at the factory when she was young, said the factory's sample workshop brought together its most skilled artisans. The displayed pieces are considered particularly fine examples of the craft.
Xuhang straw weaving reached its peak in the 1980s, when Jiading established a straw-weaving factory and an arts and crafts company responsible for production and overseas sales. By 1985, yellow-grass products covered 20 categories and more than 10,000 designs, including slippers, handbags, fruit boxes, cup holders, and wallets. The cup holders were among the products exported overseas.
The pieces recently returned to Xuhang after a visitor discovered them in a shop in a neighboring country. The visitor bought the remaining Xuhang straw-woven products and entrusted them to the museum for display.
The exhibition, "Crafted by Hand", runs through Sept 27 at the museum's Straw Building No 1 at 147 Chengliu Highway in Xuhang town.