(from abqbonsaiclub.com)
What is bonsai?
Bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is an ancient oriental horticultural art form originally developed in the Orient nearly 2000 years ago. The word Bonsai literally means, in both Chinese and in Japanese tree-in- a-pot. The same word ʻbonsaiʼ is used both for the singular and the plural.
Contrary to what many people think, bonsai is not a specific tree species. Bonsai can be created from many varieties of trees, shrubs, and vines. Both Coniferous and Deciduous trees are used in bonsai. Pine, Maple and Juniper are considered the ‘Classic’ bonsai.
Combining both horticultural and artistic skills the objective of bonsai, regardless of the species, is to create the illusion of fully grown, mature trees in miniature. It involves the bringing of tree(s) and pot together into visual harmony.
Classified by styles, relating to the trunk angle, shape, number of trunks, formal, informal, slanting, cascade or group planting, bonsai vary dramatically in size from tiny shito bonsai trees grown in containers the size of a thimble, to trees requiring several men to move.
A bonsai should have a well tapered trunk and have branches all around the tree aiding to give the bonsai visual depth and ‘beauty’. The lower part of the trunk should be visible and well seated to show its ‘power’.
Wiring branches on younger tress, for as long as needed helps to encourage them to set into desired positions.
Contrary to what many believe, age is not a prerequisite for a bonsai tree. Instead, several techniques can be used to increase the illusion of age. Two advanced techniques, Jin and Sharimiki involve the removal of bark and subsequent carving of the exposed wood create the effect of an ancient tree that has suffered a trauma many years ago.
Bonsai do not differ genetically from trees found in nature. They stay small because they are confined in a container.
The history of bonsai (pronounced bone-sigh) is cloaked in the mist of the past but it is now widely accepted that it was the Chinese who first created the miniature landscapes and trees that we now know as bonsai. In Japanese, bonsai can be literally translated as ‘tray planting’, but since originating in Asia so many centuries ago – it has developed into a whole new form. Called penjing by the Chinese, bonsai was believed to have had its start in the Han Dynasty. In this essay I will discuss some of the legends and facts surrounding the beginning of bonsai.
One of the earliest Chinese legends contends that it was in the Han Dynasty (206 B.C. – 220 A.D.) that an emperor created a landscape in his courtyard complete with hills, valleys, rivers, lakes and trees that represented his entire empire. He created the landscape so that he could gaze upon his entire empire from his palace window. This landscape form of art was also his alone to posess. It was said that anyone else found in possession of even a miniature landscape was seen as a threat to his empire and put to death.
Another Chinese legend relating to the beginnings of bonsai points to a fourth century A.D. Chinese poet and civil servant named Guen-ming. It’s believed that after his retirement he began growing chrysanthemums in pots. Some historians believe this was a step towards the beginning of bonsai in the Tang dynasty some 200 years later.
The earliest documented proof of bonsai was discovered in 1972 in the tomb of Prince Zhang Huai, of the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907 A.D.) who died in 706 A.D. Two wall paintings discovered in the tomb show servants carrying plants resembling bonsai. In one of the paintings a servant is seen carrying a miniature landscape and in the other painting a servant is shown carrying a pot containing a tree.
-Bonsai comes to Japan-
Even though it’s the Japanese who get most of the credit for bonsai, it wasn’t until the Heian period (794 – 1191A.D.) that Buddhist monks brought bonsai to the island. For many years following the arrival of bonsai, the art was practiced by only the wealthy and thus came to be known as a nobleman privilege. The fact that the art of bonsai was limited to the noble class almost caused the art to die out in Japan. It was with the Chinese invasion of Japan in the fourteenth century that the art of bonsai started to be practiced by people of all classes. Once the art was practiced by all classes, bonsai began to grow in popularity in Japan. The Chinese influence on the early bonsai masters is apparent since the Japanese still use the same characters to represent bonsai as the Chinese. After the establishment of bonsai in Japan, the Japanese went to great lengths to refine the art and a lot of credit must go to these early bonsai masters. The refinements that they developed has made bonsai what it is today.
-Bonsai Comes West-
The earliest bonsai to come to the west came mostly from Japan and China. The showing of bonsai at the Third Universal Exhibition in Paris in 1878 and later exhibitions in 1889 and 1900 increased western interest in bonsai and opened the door for the first major bonsai exhibit held in London in 1909. In these early years many westerners felt that the trees looked tortured and many openly voiced their displeasure in the way the trees were being treated by bonsai masters. It wasn’t until 1935 that opinions changed and bonsai was finally classified as an art in the west.
With the end of World War II, bonsai started to gain in popularity in the west. It was the soldiers returning from Japan with bonsai in tow that sparked western interest in the art, even though most of the trees brought home by these soldiers died a short time after their arrival. They survived long enough to create a desire in westerners to learn more about the proper care of their bonsai. The large Japanese-American population was invaluable to Americans in this respect. Their knowledge of the art of bonsai was of great interest ot many Americans learning the art.
