A Short History of Bonsai

" The tradition of Chinese gardening art can be traced back to almost 3500 years. Since those ancient times, the Chinese have designed and created gardens to emulate nature. Then, nearly 2000 years ago, the art of recreating nature in miniature known as "penjing" or "pensai" evolved.

Penjing is a unique art form where a tree is cultivated in a pot to resemble a giant tree in the wild. The ancient Chinese have been known to cultivate these miniaturised trees in ceramic or wooden flower pots, trays and slabs of rocks. They would also be planted on deep-fissured ornamental rocks.However, the pot is only a complementary element to the penjing. The tree is the main feature. Age, size and trunk widths are the elements in the art of penjing. The miniaturised tree should project the character of a "real" tree in style and perspective. When looking at a good penjing, the viewer should be able to "see" through illusion, a full-sized tree growing in its natural environment.

The early traders introduced these penjings into Japan where they were collected by wealthy merchants and samurais. In the process, the word "bonsai" was produced. It holds the same meaning as that of "penjing" or "pensai", a tree in a tray.While "penjing" is the Chinese name for this art form, "bonsai" is the Japanese name for the same art form.

Through the years, the Chinese have developed thirty different nurturing styles covering the five major regions of China. The Japanese absorbed these styles and developed upon them.

In this modern era, bonsai cultivation is no longer only a Chinese or Japanese hobby. During the early 1960s, bonsai was introduced to the West and by the late 1960s, it was a hobby that slowly gained popularity in North America. In the mid-1980s, there was a scattering of bonsai clubs in Europe. In more recent times, there are internationally recognised bonsai artists from both the East and the West."