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Bonsai first appeared in China over a
thousand years ago on a very basic scale, known as pun-sai, where it
was the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots. These
early specimens displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks
which often looked like animals, dragons and birds. There are a
great number of myths and legends surrounding Chinese bonsai, and
the grotesque or animal-like trunks and root formations are still
highly prized today. Chinese bonsai come from the landscape of the
imagination and images of fiery dragons and coiled serpents take far
greater precedence over images of trees- so the two forms of this
art are quite far apart.
With Japan's adoption of many cultural trademarks of China bonsai
was introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333)
by means of Zen Buddhism, which at this time was rapidly spreading
around Asia. The exact time is debatable, although it is possible
that it had arrived in AD 1195 as there appears to be a reference
to it in a Japanese scroll attributed to that period. 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 were 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 shown by the very simple Japanese gardens such as
those in the famous temple Roan-ji. 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, supplementary and accent plants,
and even small buildings and people which itself 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 opinion. The evolution of bonsai over the past two centuries
is truly amazing, now a well known and respected horticultural
art form that has spread throughout the world from Greenland to
the U.S. to South Africa to Australia. It is constantly changing
and reaching even greater heights, representative of how small
the world is really getting.
Courtesy of
Dan Hubik (Bonsaisite.com)
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