Page 43 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2014Q3

satsuki bonsai are both the highlight of the festival
and its reason for existing.
The rapt attention being paid by festival goers in
Figures 1a and b indicate just how important satsuki
bonsai are in Japanese culture. These are the works
of masters, of cultural icons. Masters such as Kunio
Kobayashi, Takashi Iura, Isao Omachi, and Shinji
Suzuki, to name but a few, have produced the pre-
possessing artistry on display. Figures 3 through 11
depict just a handful of the satsuki bonsai on display
at the 2013 Festival. Figures 3, 4, and 5 are illustra-
tive of the harmony between the strength of the trees’
form and the beauty of the blooms. All three pos-
sess strong trunks and interesting nebari that convey
great age and carry great beauty. Figure 6 depicts a
tree just coming into bloom so that the classic struc-
ture and compact growth are readily apparent. Figure
7 illustrates the compact growth patterns of leaves
and flowers characteristic of a mature, highly refined
tree. In Figure 8, the wonderful nebari and trunk and
the dense canopy convey strength while the floral dis-
play that is adumbrated promises transformation.
It is captivating how the seasons are so altering for
satsuki and how the changes to come lie dormant.
As with all bonsai, full appreciation of a tree grows
season-by-season, year-by-year. In Figure 9, there
is a great complementarity between the delicacy of
the structure and of the floral canopy. In the slant-
ing style bonsai depicted in Figure 10, the movement 6
conveyed by the branches beautifully complements
the exquisite coloration. The tree depicted in Figure
11 is breathtaking. To the power of the trunk and ne-
bari are added the ravages of age. The juxtaposition of
live and dead wood, of space and lushness, of line and
movement all crowned by the floral display together
create a consummate harmony.
Satsuki may have bold or subtle coloration and
may have unusual and striking flower patterns. This
quality is called call ‘sakiwake’ by the Japanese. Many
festival participants are keenly interest in finding cul-
tivars that combine color and pattern in ways that
they believe will be most expressive. There are over
1100 existing cultivars and the number is growing.
The satsuki displayed in Figure 12 possesses flowers
in several different shades of pink and white. The pat-
terns are essentially unique. It would be very difficult
to say that any two flowers on this tree were identical.
This tree contrasts interestingly with the tree present-
ed in Figure 13. The flowers here are a near-uniform
red. The allele for red is dominant so it is more invari-
ant. The genetics of the mosaics observed in satsuki
are beginning to be understood; however, the basis
of the diversity seen in Figure 12 and, perhaps, even
more strikingly in Figure 14, is not known.
The experience of Kanuma Satsuki Festival is
enriched by events that occur simultaneously. This
year a bonsai exhibit of the work of Seiji Morimae’s
group was featured. Figure 15 displays a wonderful
juniper that was part of this ancillary exhibit.
Attendees receive a very rounded bonsai experience.
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