Page 10 - Ebook cây cảnh Art of Bonsai

10 The art of bonsai

Early origins c.970–999), offers evidence of the idea that natural
It is generally accepted that bonsai beauty only becomes truly beautiful when it is
began in China. Known as pen affected by the human touch: “A tree that is left
t’sai, there is evidence of training growing in its natural state is a crude thing, it is
and container cultivation to give only when kept close to humans who fashion it
trees artistic and metaphysical with loving care that its shape and style acquire
value in Chinese paintings the ability to move one.”
from the Sung period
(960–1279), in which Popular evolution
pen t’sai is depicted Abstract Buddhist influences were superseded in the
as a hobby of the Edo period (1603–1867) by a popularization of bonsai,
nouveau riche. and a shift toward another school of Chinese
Earlier accounts of thought. Newly unified after years of turmoil, Japan
bonsai from the 6th became stable and prosperous, and bonsai culture
century also exist, began to spread among ordinary citizens. At the
and it is possible same time, an increased fascination with shape and
bonsai spread to structure was evolving, coupled with a rapid
Japanese prints, like this one dating
from 1780–1820, reveal bonsai was Japan at this time, expansion of tree species with the introduction of
an established form. It depicts two
women and their male servant along with other over 200 hybridized camellias and 160 azaleas.
admiring a plant seller’s trees. cultural and
religious ideas such The elite class of monks, scholars, and artists took
as Tendai and Zen Buddhism. By the 14th century a slightly different path during the Edo period,
there is firm evidence of bonsai in Japanese culture: with a move away from Zen Buddhism toward
in one scroll, Kasuga Gongen Genki painted by Confucian and Taoist ideals. The scholarly literati
Takashina Takakane (1309), potted trees are depicted movement was populated by artists who concentrated
in the garden of a wealthy patron. A number of other on brush-based disciplines—calligraphy, painting,
sources from this time including poems, essays, and and poetry. The Edo literati
Noh theater present similar images of bonsai. scholars of Japan followed
the tradition of
The development of Japanese aesthetic ideas and Chinese Wenren
other art forms also provides an insight into the scholars, copying
development of bonsai. The oldest Japanese narrative the southern style
text, Utsubo Monogatari (Tale of the Hollow Tree, of painting that

Chinese pea tree Japanese black pine Scots pine