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Once bonsai was introduced into Japan,
the art was refined to an extent not
yet approached in China. Over time,
the simple trees were not just confined
to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries,
but also later were introduced to
be representative of the aristocracy
- a symbol of prestige and honor.
The ideals and philosophy of bonsai
were greatly changed over the years.
For the Japanese, bonsai represents
a fusion of strong ancient beliefs
with the Eastern philosophies of the
harmony between man, the soul and
nature.
In an ancient Japanese scroll written
in Japan around the Kamakura period,
it is translated to say: "To
appreciate and find pleasure in curiously
curved potted trees is to love deformity".
Whether this was intended as a positive
or negative statement, it leaves us
to believe that growing dwarfed and
twisted trees in containers was an
accepted practice among the upper
class of Japan by the Kamakura period.
By the fourteenth century bonsai was
indeed viewed as a highly refined
art form, meaning that it must have
been an established practice many
years before that time.
Bonsai were brought indoors for display
at special times by the 'Japanese
elite' and became an important part
of Japanese life by being displayed
on specially designed shelves. These
complex plants were no longer permanently
reserved for outdoor display, although
the practices of training and pruning
did not develop until later - the
small trees at this time still being
taken from the wild.
In the 17th and 18th century, the
Japanese arts reached their peak and
were regarded very highly. Bonsai
again evolved to a much higher understanding
and refinement of nature - although
the containers used seemed to be slightly
deeper than those used today. The
main factor in maintaining bonsai
was now the removal of all but the
most important parts of the plant.
The reduction of everything just to
the essential elements and ultimate
refinement was very symbolic of the
Japanese philosophy of this time.
At around this time, bonsai also became
commonplace to the general Japanese
public - which greatly increased demand
for the small trees collected from
the wild and firmly established the
art form within the culture and traditions
of the country.
Over time, bonsai began to take on
different styles, each which varied
immensely from one another. Bonsai
artists gradually looked into introducing
other culturally important elements
in their bonsai plantings such as
rocks, accent plants, and even small
buildings and people which is known
as the art of bon-kei. They also looked
at reproducing miniature landscapes
in nature - known as sai-kei which
further investigated the diverse range
of artistic possibilities for bonsai.
Finally, in the mid-19th century,
after more than 230 years of global
isolation, Japan opened itself up
to the rest of the world. Word soon
spread from travelers who visited
Japan of the miniature trees in ceramic
containers which mimicked aged, mature,
tall trees in nature. Further exhibitions
in London, Vienna and Paris in the
latter part of the century - especially
the Paris World Exhibition in 1900
opened the world's eyes up to bonsai.
Due to this phenomenal upsurge in
the demand for bonsai, the now widely
expanding industry and lack of naturally-forming,
stunted plants led to the commercial
production of bonsai by artists through
training young plants to grow to look
like bonsai. Several basic styles
were adopted, and artists made use
of wire, bamboo skewers and growing
techniques to do this - allowing the
art to evolve even further. The Japanese
learned to capitalize on the interest
in this art form very quickly - opening
up nurseries dedicated solely to grow,
train and then export bonsai trees.
Different plants were now being used
to cater for worldwide climates and
to produce neater foliage and more
suitable growth habits. Bonsai techniques
such as raising trees from seed or
cuttings and the styling and grafting
of unusual, different or tender material
onto hardy root stock were further
developed.
Bonsai has now evolved to reflect
changing tastes and times - with a
great variety of countries, cultures
and conditions in which it is now
practiced.
In Japan today, bonsai are highly
regarded as a symbol of their culture
and ideals. The New Year is not complete
unless the tokonoma - the special
niche in every Japanese home used
for the display of ornaments and prized
possessions - is filled with a blossoming
apricot or plum tree. Bonsai is no
longer reserved for the upper-class,
but is a joy shared by executive and
factory worker alike.
The Japanese tend to focus on using
native species for their bonsai -
namely pines, azaleas and maples (regarded
as the traditional bonsai plants).
In other countries however, people
are more open to other opinions.
The evolution of bonsai over the past
two centuries is truly amazing. Perhaps
it is symbolic of how small the world
is getting as people from Europe to
the United States and even in Greenland
are exploring bonsai as a hobby.
And now it’s your turn! First,
let’s explore styles of bonsai.
To
be continue ...
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