Chopsticks



February 16, 2009

Chopsticks have existed for thousands of years. They have a distinguished design, simple and elegant. However, they are difficult to use at first, even for Chinese people. We need to learn from an early age how to use chopsticks. As the two chopsticks are detached, they would sometimes fall from the table. So I thought why not connect the two chopsticks together? It will stay on the table and it will be easy to use as well, without the need to learn. It will also be easier to clean just one piece. They would also be similar to the tongs people in the UK already use for salad and sugar.

People here like good quality shiny materials. You can see there is lots of silverware and metal in the V&A collections. But in China, we like bamboo and natural materials. We have lots of porcelain, wooden and bamboo furniture. At the same time we plant a lot of bamboo. The Chinese people love bamboo, and in the past it was particularly prized by scholars and connoisseurs.

Therefore, I designed two versions of chopsticks. One is made of bamboo and the other of stainless steel. These two materials share a characteristic, tensility (they are ductile, capable of being stretched or extended).

So the stainless steel version is for the European and the bamboo one for Chinese. Two different materials to satisfy two different groups of people.

Chopstick
Chopstick - 2 version

筷子我们的筷子已经存在了千百年。这是一个非常杰出的设计,简单而优雅。但是一开始用的时候比较困难。我们从小就需要学习如何使用筷子。因为现有 的筷子是分开的,所以有时没有搭在筷架上的时候容易从桌子上掉下来。所以我想为什么不能把两根筷子连在一起。这样既不会从桌子上掉下来也很容易使用,不用 学就会用。同时用一个部件也比较容易清洗。而且这边人用夹子来夹色拉和糖。所以我设计了两种版本的筷子,一个是不锈钢的,另一个是竹的,这两种材料有同样 的特性-张力。用一个解决方案两种不同材料来适用不同的人群。这边人喜欢高质量发亮的材质,你能发现在V&A博物馆里有很多银器和金属的藏品。但 是在中国我们喜欢竹子和自然的材质。我们有很多瓷器和木家具,竹家具。同时我们种植很多竹子,中国人爱竹,这是君子的写照。所以不朽钢筷子为欧洲人使用, 竹筷子为中国人使用。

About the author



February 16, 2009

Lao Jianhua is a product designer currently living and working in Shanghai, China. After working for several major Chinese design companies, Lao opened his own design studio, J Y DESIGN...

More from Lao Jianhua
0 comments so far, view or add yours

Add a comment

Please read our privacy policy to understand what we do with your data.

MEMBERSHIP

Join today and enjoy unlimited free entry to all V&A exhibitions, Members-only previews and more

Find out more

SHOP

Find inspiration in our incredible range of exclusive gifts, jewellery, books, fashion, prints & posters and much more...

Find out more