Portland Japanese Garden

Excerpted and adapted by permission of the International Netsuke Society. All rights reserved.

Marian P. Miller Collection
photo: Jonathan Ley

What is a netsuke?

A netsuke is a form of miniature sculpture which developed in Japan over a period of more than three hundred years. Netsuke served both functional and aesthetic purposes. The kimono, the traditional form of Japanese dress, had no pockets. Women would tuck small personal items into their sleeves, but men suspended their tobacco pouches, pipes, purses, or writing implements on a silk cord from their obi (kimono sash). These hanging objects are called sagemono. To stop the cord from slipping through the obi, a small toggle was attached. The toggle is called a netsuke. (The Japanese pronunciation is "nets-keh"). A sliding bead (ojime) was strung on the cord between the netsuke and the sagemono to tighten or loosen the opening of the sagemono. The entire ensemble was then worn, at the waist, and functioned as a sort of removable hip pocket. All three objects (the netsuke, the ojime and the different types of sagemono) were often beautifully decorated with elaborate carving, lacquer work, or inlays of rare and exotic materials, including: wood, ivory, precious metals, shell, coral, and semi-precious stones. All three items developed into highly coveted and collectible art forms.

Aren't all netsuke made from ivory?

No, that is a common fallacy. Only about a half of all netsuke are ivory. Netsuke-shi (netsuke carvers) used materials that were available. Only artists located in Osaka, Kyoto, and Edo (Tokyo) had access to ivory. Artists outside of these population centers primarily used box or cherry wood, which they stained and polished. However, nearly every material imaginable was used, including narwhal (marine ivory), boar's tusk, amber, stag antler, pottery, bamboo, etc.

Are there different styles of netsuke?

Yes, with the most common being the katabori or figural netsuke. There are also sashi or long, thin netsuke, that were thrust through the belt, with the sagemono suspended from the end that protrudes below the obi. Manju netsuke are named after a popular bean paste confection that came in a round, flat shape. Kagamibuta (literally, "mirror lid") are a special type of netsuke with a metal lid and a bowl, usually in wood or ivory. Finally, there are mask netsuke, which are miniature versions of the masks used in Noh and Kyogen plays.

Don't the Japanese own all the great netsuke?

No, in fact many of the great collections are outside of Japan. The Europeans were the first to collect netsuke, which were exported from Japan in great number during the second half of the 19th century. With the Meiji restoration in 1868, western dress was adopted in Japan and netsuke lost their raison d'être. Very large collections were built in England, France, and the United States. Today, many of the best collections are still in Europe and the United States either in private hands or museums.

Are all netsuke signed?

No, there are many great unsigned netsuke. In fact, the netsuke considered by many experts to be the greatest of all is unsigned. It is an 18th century ivory netsuke depicting an Ama (Japanese pearl diving girl) and a squid. Some collectors prefer unsigned works, since they avoid the controversy of whether the work is by a famous artist, or just a copy.

What are the good books on netsuke?

Today there are a wealth of good books, with beautiful illustrations, on netsuke. Two good works for beginners, both by Raymond Bushell, are An Introduction to Netsuke and The Wonderful World of Netsuke. Two volumes, which provide a comprehensive look at netsuke, are Netsuke by Neil K. Davey and Collectors' Netsuke also by Bushell. Raymond Bushell has also adapted the most basic work in Japanese on netsuke, The Netsuke Handbook of Ueda Reikichi. Finally, for those collectors interested in reading signatures, there is Netsuke and Inro Artists and How to Read their Signatures by George Lazarnick.

Some fiber arts like quilting and weaving are popular forms of art in American history but have their roots in Japanese folk arts as well, while other fiber techniques that are popular in both countries include knitting and felting. One fiber art that can be described as truly belonging to the Japanese is shibori, a traditional Japanese textile art dating back to the 8th century. In this art form, the artist first creates a design and then the cloth is stitched, bound, resisted, and then wrapped or gathered by hand. Next the cloth is stained in natural dyes such as indigo, bark, roots, leaves, insects, or resins. For each color, dozens of steps have to be altered, re-stitched, gathered, etc.—and then the complicated processes are repeated from start to finish. The results produce stunning designs and beautiful colors unobtainable with synthetic dyes.

Karen Miller, Nautilus Fiberarts

"Reincarnation"

Art is not a thing, it is a way. — Elbert Hubbard

The character for "do"

Yoshiyasu Fujii

The practice of writing fine calligraphy is known as Shodo. The "do" means the "way" or the "path"—a suffix that defines the way traditional forms are taught and learned in Japan. In Chinese, this same character (道 tao or dao) represents the philosophy of Daoism, the way of living in harmony with nature, regarded as the guiding principle that unifies all things in the universe. In art as in life, it is the consciously chosen path through the day-to-day struggle that leads to an enlightened existence. Like a garden path, the journey itself is the destination.

Anne Spencer, Bonsai Society of Portland

According to Chinese legend, during the Han dynasty (206-221 AD) there was a magician who could collect, within an urn, mountains, trees, buildings, and living creatures (could he have been the first cultivator of miniature trees?). As early as the 2nd century, Chinese literature made reference to potted trees, and paintings from the period showed potted trees in honored positions in homes of the nobility. Dramatically shaped trees and stones were used to create scenes in a pot or tray; thus the Chinese term of penjing, meaning "potted scene."

For over a thousand years, China was the major cultural and artistic influence in Asia. The practice of growing miniature potted trees spread, along with many other aspects of Chinese culture, into Korea and Japan some time between the 8th and 13th centuries, as travel between the countries became more common. The Chinese continue the tradition of penjing to this day, yet it was the Japanese who adopted and refined the art of bonsai, and in the 20th century brought the art to the attention of the world.

In the beginning, the potted trees in Japan were grotesque and unnatural. Little by little the art evolved, and bonsai as we know them today came into being. Because the Japanese used only dwarfed, artistically shaped trees in their pots, they were described by the term bonsai. Translated literally, it means "a planting in a shallow container," or "tree in a tray."

During the mid 1700s, cultural progress was being made in all the arts of Japan. The tea ceremony, ceramics, painting, landscaping, floral art and Noh flourished, with emphasis on the quest for wabi and sabi. Bonsai appeared in paintings and were even mentioned in the famous Noh play "Hachii-no-ki." In the play, a poor ex-samurai burns his potted trees to warm his humble guest, who turns out to be a shogun traveling incognito.

Traditionally the pastime of scholars and the noble, after the start of the Meiji period (1868 to 1912), the common public was encouraged to practice bonsai by Emperor Meiji, who felt bonsai was a national art. Professional bonsai collectors worked to satisfy a heavy demand for bonsai material, digging naturally stunted trees out of cliffs and mountains. Gradually native stock became scarce, and eventually all collecting was prohibited by the National Flora and Fauna protection practices of the Modern period. This led to development of new techniques for propagation and nursery training of young bonsai material. The availability of this material contributed to the rapid improvement of growing methods and development of new bonsai styles. The "golden age" of bonsai had arrived in Japan.

In 1914 there were nationwide bonsai exhibits in Tokyo, and in 1921 a bonsai magazine was being published. In 1923, after the Kanto earthquake, many Tokyo growers moved to Omiya, which became the home of many famous bonsai families who still live there today. Bonsai began to be used in public ceremonies, and gained status in 1934 when the first Kokufu bonsai exhibit was held at Ueno Park in Tokyo on the grounds of the Art Gallery. WW2 brought bonsai to the edge of extinction, but thanks to the patience and enthusiasm of bonsai lovers, many priceless ancient bonsai escaped the ravages of war.

After the war, the beauty and charm of bonsai was introduced to the whole world. In Japan, Toshio Kawamoto developed a new style using young, inexpensive plants in living landscapes, calling the style saikei. The beauty of this style is the immediate pleasure of creation without the years of training and expense of good bonsai material.

In the United States in 1957 Yuji Yoshimura wrote a book on bonsai in English. Intended for showing the differences between potted trees and bonsai, it turned into a classification of styles and artistic compromises, setting down rules for creating natural looking bonsai.

In 1969 a man named Wu Yee-sun, a well known Hong Kong banker and financier, published a book called "Man Lung Garden Artistic Pot Plants." His main purpose was to promote the art of penjing and bonsai worldwide. He gave away all 10,000 copies of his first edition, free of charge, to leading libraries, universities, bonsai clubs and societies, as well as to other lovers of the art throughout the world. He then did the same with a second edition.

In 1964, the Japanese Bonsai Association was established. In 1976, in celebration of our Bicentennial, Japan gave the to United States a gift of several bonsai which are housed and available for viewing at the National Arboretum in Washington, DC. In 1984, the World Bonsai Friendship Federation was formed by Saburo Kato and other bonsai masters in Japan. They held the first magnificent convention in Omiya in 1989 to celebrate World Peace and Harmony through Bonsai. These conventions are now held every four years, with the host country changing each time.

Today, bonsai are grown in almost every country of the world. There are bonsai clubs in most large cities; there are internet bonsai clubs; at least five international magazines are being published; and there are hundreds of books in libraries and available for sale. Classes available to anyone who wants to learn about bonsai, and many clubs host annual conventions featuring local and international artists. Tools and plants (young, pre-bonsai, and bonsai) are readily available. Because of this, the quality of bonsai throughout the world is improving, artistically and dramatically; it truly is art.

It started in China and Japan, but the art of bonsai can be enjoyed in our own back yards, truly binding the past and the present, the east and the west, the old and the young.

References

Bonsai, the Art and Technique, Dorothy Young, Pub.1985, Prentice-Hall

"Peace & Harmony Through Bonsai", BCI magazine, Nov./Dec. 1992

Bonsai, Deborah R.Koreshoff, Pub.1984, by Timber Press, OR

(currently available through Stone Lantern Publishing Co.)

The Living Art of Bonsai, Amy Liang, Pub.1992, by Sterling Pub.Co.

Man Lung Artistic Pot Plants, Wu Yee-sun, Pub.1974 by Wing Lung Bank

• Bonsai events at the Portland Japanese Garden

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.

A large-scale wisteria bonsai in full bloom. Portland Bonsai Society.

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

• Bonsai events at the Portland Japanese Garden

Ikebana, the traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement, is both an ancient and modern art. In basic form, an ikebana arrangement follows a fixed pattern: a triangle of three points representing heaven, earth, and man. Emphasis is placed on linear perfection, color harmony, space, and form. An ikebana usually contains the foliage and flowers of the current season, and all are used in their natural state except for the deft "cut" of the arranger's clippers which perfects the line of a branch or the shape of a bud.