Bonsai
A bonsai (of the Japanese 盆栽, bonsai , sometimes spelled wrongly “bonzaï”) is a Arbre or a plant in a pot. This word literally means Plante (generally Arbre or shrub) cultivated on a plate or in a pot (盆 good meaning cut or plate and 栽 sai , plant). This tree is miniaturized by cutting and binding its branches and its sheets. Is regularly repotted it in order to cut his roots inside and on the surface of the pot (the nebari ), in order to make of it a work of art Esthétique resembling a tree in nature. The word bonsai is pronounced in Japanese. In French, one pronounces // (according to the Larousse).
History
The culture of the plants out of pots starts in Egypt there is approximately 4 000 years, primarily for practical reasons, of utility and mobility. The Greek , Babylonian, Persian S and Indiens copied the technique. The Chinese were the first to cultivate trees out of pot with an aim Esthétique, at the era of the dynasty of Han (-206 with 220). At that time one did not speak yet about bonsai but about Penjing (pénjǐng 盆景) (representation of a landscape in a cut). A little later under the Dynastie Qin (220 - 581) the 盆栽 pénzāi appear (single tree in a cut).
For proof of the existence of this art at this time, archeologists discovered, in 1971, in the tomb of the prince Zhang Huai deceased in 705, under the Dynastie Tang (618 with 907), a fresco painted on the walls of its tomb. This one represents two servants carrying, one a landscape in miniature and the other a vase in form of lotus containing a tree with green sheets and red fruits.
The most known coding of the bonsai in Occident east that of the Japan.
The art of the bonsai gained the Japan around the VIe and 7th centuries with the Moine S, which brought also the Bouddhisme. This event is confirmed by the famous roller of the Buddhist monk Honen Shonin of the Period Kamakura (1192 with 1333), the representation of small trees aligned in cuts. However it should be known that works of this monk recall especially the life with the Period Heian (794 with 1191). One can thus reasonably conclude from it that this art appeared in Japan at the latest in the year 800.
Under the Dynasty Yuan (1279 with 1368), Japanese ministers and merchants will bring back trees in their country. However this art will be really integrated into Japan only when one Chinese civil servant, Chu Shun-sui, fleeing the Manchu domination in 1644, carries his collection with him. It will thus initiate some Japanese with the culture of the future trees out of pot called bonsai .
For a long time the bonsai were reserved for the dominant, feudal and religious classes, especially appreciating the bonsai coloured. Today, it is not any more the case and good number of Japanese is devoted to the culture of the bonsai, thus joining again with the ancestral traditions.
The first national exposure of bonsai to Tōkyō date of 1914. The culture of the bonsai was recognized like art in Japan only in 1934. Since then an annual exposure is held with the museum of Art of the capital.
In Europe, the bonsai was introduced for the first time, at the time of the third World Fair of Paris in 1878, then in an exposure deprived in 1909 to London. The first allusion to the bonsai was made by Paul Sédille in the Gazette of the Art schools of September 1878.
In 1902, Albert Maumené published the first test on the bonsai: Formation of the dwarf trees Japanese .
In 1904, an approach a little more serious was made by Henri Coupin. One can note on these documents of files which the bonsai had of the forms absolutely different from the bonsai modern. Their current coding dates according to the last world war and was mainly widespread by John Naka.
Although this form of culture of tree out of pot existed already with the Moyen-âge in our areas (cf orange groves), one had never yet tried to recreate nature with if small scales. There are besides only distances relationship between the two types of cultures. One cannot see the bonsai either as an art Topiaire although the bonsai Vietnam iens mainly at one time presented of the animalist forms guided by sons.
With the the United States, at the time of and after the Second world war, of the bonsai are massively imported Japan. Starting from 1965, the bonsai will be imported in great quantity in Europe by Gerritt Lodder with the Netherlands then by P. Lesniewicz in Germany. It will be necessary to wait a few years to see the bonsai making a timid appearance in France, where it will know a marked passion, in the middle of the Années 1980.
Classification
Dimensions
The bonsai are usually gathered in three categories concerning their dimensions, from many Japanese names distinguish with precision the various stages, but one often counts “the number of hands” which it is necessary to carry the bonsai, as follows:-
Mame or Shôhin : bonsai with a hand, about 5 to 15 cm, often very attractive for the amateur, one often speaks about “mini-bonsai”. This size restricted in an important way the number of varieties which are likely to be worked in mame , of too large sheets which would be not easily reducible would give to the tree an unaesthetic disproportion (some widespread varieties: Buxus, Lonicera nitida, Acer palmatum, Pinus pentaphylla, Ulmus parvifolia, Juniperus chinensis, and Serissa, Carmona, Portulacaria).
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Kotate-mochi or Komono : bonsai with two hands, from 15 to 60 cm up to 130 cm, then chùmono up to 60 cm is undoubtedly most widespread among amateurs, its size makes it possible to work with much more smoothness the structure and the ramification of the tree and thus gives more creative freedom to the bonsaillist. About all the varieties are appropriate for this category.
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Ômono : bonsai with four hands (one indeed needs two large people to carry these bonsai), of 60 cm to 1.20 m even more, was formerly with the Japan a sign of the prosperity of the owner, today, there remains an imposing and often worthy bonsai by its age.
Styles
The bonsai which one sees in large distribution, from their mode of production have a major defect (in addition to the large very often indelible wounds): they all resemble each other and thus we would have evil to speak about Art in connection with cultivated plants in a not individual way but of mass. However there exists a fundamental classification of styles that any creator of bonsai cannot be unaware of (one can all the same transgress the rules as in any Art but only after his assimilation).Very often a bonsai belongs to several distinct styles, it does not exist any rigid law in the creation of a bonsai from the point of view Esthétique.
Besides the creation of the styles returns constantly to the shapes of the trees in nature, the professionals advise not to take as a starting point other bonsai for their creation, but directly by the trees in nature.
Thus the bonsai does not seek the Mimétisme with nature, but the evocation in miniature of the power of the tree, it must have the gasoline of a large tree.
The styles are not classified by orders of importance, that being prone to controversy, nevertheless, the first styles are most current.
; Chokkan: Trunk formal right. Very appreciated purists, the line which the trunk draws is difficult to obtain, it must indeed be conical while remaining perfectly right. ; Tachiki (or Moyogi): Trunk abstract right. The trunk reveals some curves, it is sometimes the result of a missed Chokkan , nevertheless, the tree can be very esthetic. ; Shakan: Inclined trunk, as leant by the wind. ; Kengai: Trunk in cascade, it falls down in lower part of the pot. Many trees pushing with mountainside give the impression “to fall into the vacuum”. ; Han-Kengai: Trunk in semi cascade, in general, the top of the tree low does not exceed the edge of the pot. One sees in certain cases another top which goes up but remains however rather low. ; Bankan: Tortuous trunk being rolled up on itself in twist. It is the popular image which people have of the bonsai, in France at least: “a tree which suffers”, it is true that it takes as a starting point the trees which had difficulties in their growth. ; Bunjingi, style of the “ well-read man ”: This style is strongly distinguished compared to the others, the thin trunk remains stripped on a great part before showing some masses of foliages only in the air part. The unit gives an impression of lightness and a great elegance. In our areas one can compare it with the woodland pines or the pines laricio (pine of Corsica). ; Hôkidachi: In the shape of brush, the right trunk distributes all the foliage starting from the same point (located at the third or half of the tree). The foliage is spread on both sides drawing a round or an oval. The Zelkova carpinifolia (or Zelkova serrata) is the tree representative of this style in nature, thus one often thus treats it in bonsai, its ramification fine emphasizes this style in winter. ; Fukinagashi: Beaten by the wind, unlike the Shakan , the branches and the trunk express the same movement. ; Neagari: The roots are exposed to the top of the ground level. ; Sekijojû: The roots enclose the rock before plunging in the ground. ; Ishitsuki: The tree (or trees) is planted in the rock (this one contains ground). ; Sabamiki: Split and torn trunk. ; Sharimiki: Trunk barked the made-to-order of the trees subjected to natural disasters. ; Nejikan: The partially tortuous trunk, sometimes rolled up on itself like does it the pomegranate in certain cases. ; Takozukuri: The trunk and the branches are sinuous.
; Bonkei or Saikei: miniature landscapes
Multiple trunks
Name given according to the number of trunks: 1: Tankan , 2: Sokan , 3: Sankan , 5: Gokan , 7: Nanakan , 9: Kyukan , + of 9: Tsukami-Yose . Specificities are: ; Kabudachi: Trunk grouped on a root. ; Kôrabuki: Trunks grouped on a stock in the shape of carapace of tortoise. ; Nestsunagari: Several trunks leave a sinuous root. The elms often create this aspect in nature. ; Ikadabuki: Trunk in raft, the tree, laid down by ground creates new trunks with its branches.
Plantations of groups
Name given according to the number of trees: 2: Soju , 3: Sambon Yose , 5: Gohon Yose , 7: Nanahon Yose , 9: Kyuhon Yose , + of 9: Yose-ue .
Age of the bonsai
The bonsai can reach a very worthy age. The oldest known bonsai would be a Pinus will parviflora dating from the year 1500 and always visible with the Takagi Bonsai Museum of Tōkyō.With the passing of years, the techniques evolved/moved, which makes it possible the amateur to change the height and the direction of the growth of the Arbre, and in certain cases of nanifier the Feuillage in the same way that the tree. Today, the culture of the bonsai is an art: alive sculpture. There are certain traditional and traditional forms which one can find and follow, but the basic rule for the bonsai personnel is “if you like it with what it resembles, it is a beautiful bonsai”.
Bonsai business
There exist two distinct dies of production for the bonsai:
- mass production coming from Asia which feeds the European supermarkets in small trees at very low price (between 5 and 30 euros). The Anglo-Saxons call them pejoratively “MallSaï”, i.e. “Bonsai of supermarket”;
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production coming from some seedbeds of luxury or local craftsmen where the trees are definitely more expensive but definitely more beautiful also. The fortunate amateurs can spend until several tens of thousands of euros in a beautiful tree.
Exposure
Each year takes place in Tokyo the Kokufu Bonsai Ten, where are exposed most beautiful bonsai of the world. At the time of this kind of exposure, the bonsai are often presented associated with a Kusamono. In many countries, the national federations organize an annual convention or the amateurs like the professionals can come to present their works.
Species used
It is often thought that the bonsai are obtained starting from trees specific to this Article It is true that certain trees are more usually used, in particular the gasolines of trees with small sheets in a natural state (which will be thus simpler with nanifier thereafter than of others) but a bonsai can be created starting from any gasoline of tree or bush. The most traditional gasolines are the pine S Japanese blacks ( Pinus thunbergii ), the pines with five needles ( Pinus pentaphylla or Pinus will parviflora in Japan), the Genévrier S ( Juniperus chinensis VAr. Sargentii ), the elms of China and the maple S Japanese.
In general, one uses varieties with small sheets, flowers and fruits. To note that so certain techniques make it possible to reduce the size of the sheets, that of the flowers and the fruits is never modifiable.
The rustic species most current
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Acer buergerianum - maple of Bürger
- Acer campestre - common maple
- Acer ginnala - maple of the river Love
- Acer palmatum - maple of Japan
- Alnus - alder
- Berberis vulgaris - berberis
- Buxus - boxwood
- Carpinus betulus - charms or hedge in certain seedbeds
- Cedrus - cedar
- Chaenomeles japonica - quince tree of Japan
- Chaenomeles speciosa
- Chamaecyparis - false cypress
- Cotoneaster - cotonéaster
- Crataegus laevigata - hawthorn
- Cryptomeria japonica - cedar of Japan
- Cupressus - cypress
- Enkianthus
- Euonymus europaeus - charcoal
- Fraxinus - ash
- Ginkgo biloba
- Gleditsia triacanthos - thorny February
- Hedera helix - ivy
- Ilex crenata - houx Japanese
- Juniperus chinensis - genévrier of China
- Juniperus procubens
- Juniperus sabina - genévrier Sabine
- Lagerstroemia indica - lilac of the Indies
- Larix decidua - larch
- Ligustrum - privet
- Liquidambar styraciflua - copalme of America
- Lonicera - chèvrefeuille
- Malus - apple tree, varieties with small fruits
- Metasequoia - métaséquoïa
- Nothofagus
- Olea europaea - olive-tree
- Parthenocissus triscupidata - Japanese ivy
- Pinus - pine
- Potentilla fruticosa - potentille woody
- Pseudocydonia sinensis - quince tree of China
- Pyracantha - burning bush
- Punica granatum - pomegranate
- Quercus robur - oak stalk
- Quercus ilex - holm oak
- Stewartia
- Tamarix - tamaris
- Taxus baccata - yew
- Ulmus pumila - elm of Siberia
- Ulmus elegantissima
- Ulmus minor - elm with small sheets
- Ulmus parvifolia - elm of China
- Wisteria - glycine
- Zelkova serrata - zelkova of Japan
- Zelkova carpinifolia - elm of the Caucasus
- Zelkova nire
Bonsai of orangery
These bonsai require a protection except freezing in winter.
- Bougainvillea - bougainvillea
- Ilex serrata - houx cogged
- Murraya paniculata - boxwood of China
- Nandina domestica - bamboo of the happiness
- Operculicarya decaryi - false pepper plant of Japan
- Sageretia theezans
- Serissa
- Rhododendron indicum - azalea
- Zanthoxylum piperitum - pepper plant of Sichuan
Species for the beginner, really rustic
Just as the gardener in a hurry his garden populates of what pushes in its neighbor, in the same way the neophyte will be interested in the species autochtones or endemic. The possibility of a culture out of pot is a of the same criterion weight, which will be evaluated in nature with the form and the depth (!) roots and very quickly once placed out of pots. To start in large pots.
Bonsai of hot greenhouse
These trees require a room where the temperature does not go down in lower parts of 10 °C in winter.
- Carmona
- Eugenia will cauliflora or Syzygium or Myrciaria - plum tree of Java
- Ficus benjamina - whining fig tree
- Ficus retusa - tropical fig tree
- Podocarpus
- Portulacaria