Page 39 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2013Q4

perfect proportion of stones and plants. When you
use large stones representing hilly areas, use of small
plants with small leaves will give far off view. While
small stones with plants with little larger leaves gives
effect of near view.
This interesting art of saikei making is getting popular
in India. This Japanese word is made up of two words,
sai meaning a plant or tree and kei meaning a scene.
My husband, Nikunj, and I learned this art from Mr.
Toshio Kawamoto and Mr. Tom Yamamoto in 1984 in
Japan and we owe much to both our respected Sensei
of Japan.
We literally were allowed to play with small stones
or rocks put in a tray with soil. Gradually we were
given one tree and many rocks, then two, then three
trees and so on and after six week’s training we ar-
ranged some forty one trees and many rocks resem-
bling a complete scenery. Then we got a certificate for
completion of the course. We bonsai enthusiasts world
over have tried to miniaturize these scenes in many
different ways. Chinese masters popularized this style
by depicting water element like streams, rivers, sea-
front etc, in every creation. They made their suihan
penjing on marble trays.
Mr. Zhao Qingquan of Hangzhou, was invited to India
and he taught us the relevant principles of arranging
and fixing stones on marble trays and then placing
appropriate plants to make perfect suihan penjing. It
was a wonderful experience to learn from such ex-
pert master craftsman this not-so-easy art of suihan
penjing.
We have also learned to appreciate and make the raft
style, ikadabuki, and root connected style, netsuranari,
of bonsai which also creates a forest style effect. A sin-
gle tree having many branches on one side of the trunk
is placed on a tray horizontally keeping all the branches
upright. In future each branch becomes a tree giving
a look of a forest though created out of a single tree. A
major drawback to this raft style is that it lacks much
needed depth which we see in normal forest bonsai. So
another style called netsuranari was developed, with a
plant having longer branches on one side of the trunk.
After placing a tree horizontally in a tray, its longer
branches are also spread on soil in required directions.
The small sub branches of these branches are wired to
stay upright which eventually provide much needed
depth to the whole forest design.

In the last thirty years both of us traveled to many
places, trained many in India and other countries, takes years of working on a single tree needing lots Facing page; Multiple trunk
using a variety of stones and rocks, and plants resem- of patience. Saikei requires small nursery grown trees style of Ficus hispida
bling trees. In pursuing this art the primary aim is or plant materials and thus provides instant pleasure. Top; Forest of Juniperus
to replicate nature. Perfect placement of each compo- Saikei art for many years remained unrecognized even procumbens
nent, be it rocks, trees or grasses, in appropriate shal- in Japan but in India it got acceptance sooner. The Bottom; Saikei of Juniperus
chinensis at Aosta valley, Italy
low ceramic or marble tray always was enchanting. trees in saikei, when well cared, shaped, trimmed can
India, being a unique country where more than 95% ultimately become bonsai material of the future.
of bonsai hobbyists are women, accepted this art im- In 2008 we created a saikei at IBS-BCI Congress held
mediately as it gave immense pleasure to the view- in beautiful Aosta Valley in Saint Vincent, Italy. The
ers and hobbyists instantly. Bonsai, as you all know,

October/November/December 2013 | BCI | 37