Home - The history of bonsai
One has to step back well over one thousand years to find the beginnings of the art of bonsai and even then much is steeped in mystery and legend. In the early days the approach was very simple and was known as pun-sai a term still used today. The definition of pun-sai is a tree planted in a container without any landscape. First historical reference to this art can be found during the Chinese Ch’in dynasty (221-206BC). It is said that one of the early pioneers was a poet and Civil servant called Ton Guen-ming who after his retirement started to grow chrysanthemums in clay pots. This may have been the beginning of potted plants but it also lead to the miniaturisation of trees. Early pun-sai displayed sparse foliage and rugged gnarled trunks and root formations, the latter two features still being in great demand today. In particular, early trees were prized for resembling revered symbols of Chinese life, such as dragons and birds.
Around the same period in time, reference to a second form of bonsai can be found. This form is known as pun-ching and the term refers to a tree planted in a container or a tray and landscaped. The art of pun-ching dates to the early Han dynasty (206BC-220AD). Several references and legends exist. One refers to an eccentric empower who created a miniature landscape in his courtyard complete with rivers, hills, lakes and trees. The landscape represented his entire empire. It is said that he created the landscape so that he could look upon his whole empire from the comfort of his palace window. Other suggestions refer to a period when Chinese landscape artists started to design miniature versions of the already famous artificial rock gardens. Two hundred years later during the Tang dynasty we find reference to pines, cypresses, plum trees and even bamboo growing in dishes. The presence of these miniaturised trees in traditional murals can also be observed. Even before the year AD1000, in the Sung dynasty, there are poems describing pun-sai as well as a wealth of literature on how to form them. It was during this time that teachings on the miniaturisation of trees and the art of miniature rockeries truly began.
During the period of peace known as the Ch'ing dynasty (AD 1644-1911) both pun-ching and pun-sai became a hobby not only of the aristocracy but also of all sociological strata in China. Chinese bonsai masters of today still make a distinction between 'pun-sai' and 'pun-ching' and for many the word 'pen-jing' is taken to mean both forms of bonsai art.
Although the Chinese were the creators of the art of bonsai, it was the Japanese who developed it and ultimately lead to its commercialisation in the west. The art was developed in Japan during the Kamakura period (1185-1333) with the introduction of Zen Buddhism, which was soon to rapidly spread around Asia. For the monks bonsai were religious objects, 'verdant stairways leading to Heaven', thus a connection between God and mankind. Over time the trees were not just confined to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries but became representatives of the aristocracy as a symbol of prestige and honour. Many of the ideals and philosophy of bonsai were developed in Japan. For the Japanese bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs reflecting the harmony between man, the soul and nature. A quote “To appreciate and find pleasure in curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity” was translated from an ancient Japanese scroll of the Kamakura period. By the 14th century, bonsai was viewed as a highly refined art form. In particular, the art began to spread beyond the aristocracy to the social classes and hence became established within the culture and traditions of the country. Bonsai were brought indoors for display at special times by the Japanese elite and were displayed on specially designed shelves. These complex plants were no longer permanently reserved for outdoor display, although the practices of training and pruning did not develop until later.
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1637 Chinese |
The 17th and 18th Centuries saw the evolution of bonsai reach a higher understanding and refinement. It is said that Chu Shun-sui, a Chinese official, who around 1644, fled from the rule of the Manchu's to Japan, taking with him his entire collection of bonsai literature. It is suggested that his special knowledge contributed decisively to the spread of the art of bonsai in Japan. At this time, the containers used were deeper than those of today but the main factor in maintaining bonsai was now the removal of all but the most important part of the plant. The reduction of everything just to the essential elements and ultimate refinement was very symbolic of the Japanese philosophy of this time shown by the very simple Japanese gardens such as those in the famous temple Roan-ji. Roan-jii temple was originally an aristocrat's country villa but was converted into a Zen temple in 1450.
Until the Mid 19th Century Japan had been a very isolated country and many of its culture and traditions were unknown to the rest of the world. 
Travellers to Japan now brought back stories of miniature trees in ceramic containers which strongly resembled aged and mature trees, both in proportional scale and features. Exhibitions in London, Vienna and Paris later in the century especially the Paris World Exhibition in 1900 lead to the art spreading around the world. Once again however, in response to increasing demand, it was the Japanese that commercialised bonsai by establishing the first nurseries dedicated to bonsai production. In the 1920s tools specifically designed for use on bonsai, including the concave-cutter, were becoming available in Japan. Two years after the great earthquake of 1923, thirty families of professional bonsai growers from downtown Tokyo re-established themselves to the northeast in a forest clearing on the northern edge of the town of Omiya. This Bonsai Village and its resulting students, teachers and trees, especially after WWII, would become the centre of the bonsai world.
The first Kokufu Exhibition was held in Tokyo and would eventually become the annual and most prestigious show in this art. Also by the mid-1930s, the principles for display of bonsai were altered as attitudes changed and the trees were shaped by more people than ever. The individual beauty of the tree was at last recognized as more important than any spiritual or symbolic significance it might hold. The assorted styles and types of trees continued to take their turns in the spotlight of what was considered fashionable in the art.
Due to Western politics, the first teachers of dwarf potted landscapes to Europe and America were Japanese. Hence, the West first learned about this gardening art from the Japanese perspective and scale. It is only since the 1970s that the Chinese view of more wild looking miniature landscapes has been increasingly brought to the West's attention.
In summary, the Chinese influence on bonsai is clear. The Japanese actually use the same characters as the Chinese to represent bonsai. Although the Japanese went to great lengths to refine the art, much of the credit should go to the early Chinese.
Copyright Koi Oriental Limited 2005
