photo: Jonathan Ley
Anne Spencer, Bonsai Society of Portland
History
Bonsai (pronounced “bone-sigh”) is a Japanese word that translates literally as “a planting in a shallow container.” In modern usage, the term refers specifically to a dwarfed, artistically shaped tree in a container. It is, in essence, a living sculpture.
The earliest known reference to potted trees is found in second-century Chinese literature. In the Chinese tradition, either dramatically shaped stones or trees could be used to create a scene in a pot or tray; the Chinese term for bonsai is penjing meaning “potted scene.” The practice of growing miniature potted trees, along with many other aspects of Chinese culture, spread into Korea (”boonjay”) and Japan sometime between the 8th and 13th centuries.
Although China has maintained a varied and lively tradition of penjing to the present day, it was the Japanese who adopted, modified, and finally popularized the art of bonsai. Today, what was once the esoteric pastime of scholars and the noble classes has attained broad popularity worldwide.
Artistic Characteristics
A bonsai is a small-scale representation of a mature tree in its natural surroundings; a representation that suggests a particular scene or mood. The bonsai artist manipulates the tree by pruning, bending, and tying. The goal is not to create an exact replica of a large tree but to create a simplified, abstract form that suggests a scene and elicits an emotional response.
The essential difference between bonsai and other potted plants is that while most potted plants are appreciated solely for their own features (flowers, foliage, etc.), bonsai are appreciated for their ability to suggest an image other than themselves. A useful analogy might be to think of a painting, which is appreciated not for the paint per se but for the image the paint creates. Like a painting, a bonsai is not a literally accurate image but a suggestion that is somewhat abstracted and idealized according to the intent and taste of the artist.
photo: Jonathan Ley
Horticultural Characteristics
Bonsai are not created from a specific species of tree, and they are not stunted, starved, or tortured. A good-quality bonsai is a healthy, well-nourished, vigorously growing tree. It is small in part because it is regularly trimmed, and in part because container cultivation limits the size of the root system. A healthy bonsai regularly produces an abundance of new growth that the artist uses to develop and refine its shape.
Because a bonsai continues to grow, it is never “finished” as an art piece. The artist’s work – and the bonsai’s evolution – can continue for decades. For this reason, creating a bonsai is called “training” rather than “sculpting.” Unlike with clay, glass, and other inanimate materials, creating art from a living tree is an interactive process. The artist must yield to the tree, even as the tree yields to the trimming, shaping, and bending by the artist.
In most cases, bonsai require abundant natural daylight for photosynthesis and therefore should not be treated as houseplants. However, despite the fact that bonsai prefer an outdoor environment (appropriate to the species) even cold-hardy plants require protection in below-freezing weather due to exposure of the roots in small containers.
Information provided by Weyerhaeuser Corporation and the Bonsai Society of Portland
Tags: bonsai
January 23rd, 2009 at 11:24 am
Some of my most memorable times spent in Portland was via the Portland Bonsai Society. I heartily recommend membership.
Bob, former Garden volunteer