Bonsai
Bonsai (盆栽, "tray gardening", in Japanese) is the art of growing miniature trees
and plants, kept small by being grown in a pot and by the use of skilled pruning,
formed to create an aesthetic shape and the illusion of age, although many
bonsai trees are quite old and simply show their age in miniature form. The
Chinese art of penjing is very similar to and is the precursor of the Japanese art
of bonsai.
History
Sketches of trees grown in pots sometimes with rock or other decoration,
apparently used for decorative purposes, occur in Egyptian tombs, dated over
4,000 years old. Subsequently, caravans were known to transport trees in
containers of various kinds throughout Asia. The trees were sources of
chemicals used medicinally by healers in the caravans and places visited along
the way.
The modern-day art of bonsai originates from China over two thousand years
ago, where it has been called penzai (盆栽) and written in the same Hanzi that
gave rise to the Kanji above. It was brought to Japan by imperial embassies to
Tang China (the 7th – 9th century). In the Kamakura period, penjing that recalled
customs from the Heian period came to be drawn in some picture scrolls and
documents. In the Muromachi period, penjing developed into various directions in
Japan. Just like a Japanese garden, it came to assume the artistry of "Wabi-
sabi". However, the bonsai was still the enjoyment of people of the chosen
hierarchy in the period. In the Edo period, it became possible to enjoy the bonsai
for many daimyos, samurais, merchants, townsmen, and others. In addition, the
bonsai pot became popular among daimyos, employing the pottery master who
belonged exclusively to the bonsai pot. It is said that the name "Bonsai" started
being used around this time. Indeed, a lot of bonsais were drawn in many an
"Ukiyo-e (浮世絵)".
The art is still practiced in China today, often under the name of penjing. As the
Chinese art is intended for outdoor display, the plants tend to be somewhat
larger than Japanese bonsai.
Bonsai (盆栽, "tray gardening", in Japanese) is the art of growing miniature trees
and plants, kept small by being grown in a pot and by the use of skilled pruning,
formed to create an aesthetic shape and the illusion of age, although many
bonsai trees are quite old and simply show their age in miniature form. The
Chinese art of penjing is very similar to and is the precursor of the Japanese art
of bonsai.
History
Sketches of trees grown in pots sometimes with rock or other decoration,
apparently used for decorative purposes, occur in Egyptian tombs, dated over
4,000 years old. Subsequently, caravans were known to transport trees in
containers of various kinds throughout Asia. The trees were sources of
chemicals used medicinally by healers in the caravans and places visited along
the way.
The modern-day art of bonsai originates from China over two thousand years
ago, where it has been called penzai (盆栽) and written in the same Hanzi that
gave rise to the Kanji above. It was brought to Japan by imperial embassies to
Tang China (the 7th – 9th century). In the Kamakura period, penjing that recalled
customs from the Heian period came to be drawn in some picture scrolls and
documents. In the Muromachi period, penjing developed into various directions in
Japan. Just like a Japanese garden, it came to assume the artistry of "Wabi-
sabi". However, the bonsai was still the enjoyment of people of the chosen
hierarchy in the period. In the Edo period, it became possible to enjoy the bonsai
for many daimyos, samurais, merchants, townsmen, and others. In addition, the
bonsai pot became popular among daimyos, employing the pottery master who
belonged exclusively to the bonsai pot. It is said that the name "Bonsai" started
being used around this time. Indeed, a lot of bonsais were drawn in many an
"Ukiyo-e (浮世絵)".
The art is still practiced in China today, often under the name of penjing. As the
Chinese art is intended for outdoor display, the plants tend to be somewhat
larger than Japanese bonsai.
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