The Origin of Bonsai Trees in China
Bonsai first appeared in China over a thousand years ago on a very basic
scale, known as pun-sai, where it was the practice of growing single
specimen trees in pots. These early specimens displayed sparse foliage and
rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds.
There are a great number of myths and legends surrounding Chinese bonsai, and
the grotesque or animal-like trunks and root formations are still highly
prized today. Chinese bonsai come from the landscape of the imagination and
images of fiery dragons and coiled serpents take far greater precedence over
images of trees- so the two forms of this art are quite far apart.
With Japan's adoption of many cultural trademarks of China - bonsai was
also taken up, introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) by
means of Zen Buddhism - which at this time was rapidly spreading around Asia.
The exact time is debatable, although it is possible that it had arrived in AD
1195 as there appears to be a reference to it in a Japanese scroll attributed
to that period. Once bonsai was introduced into Japan, the art was refined to
an extent not yet approached in China. Over time, the simple trees were not
just confined to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries, but also later were
introduced to be representative of the aristocracy - a symbol of prestige and
honour. The ideals and philosophy of bonsai were greatly changed over the
years. For the Japanese, bonsai represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs
with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.
In an ancient Japanese scroll written in Japan around the Kamakura period,
it is translated to say : "To appreciate and find pleasure in
curiously curved potted trees is to love deformity". Whether this was
intended as a positive or negative statement, it leaves us to believe that
growing dwarfed and twisted trees in containers was an accepted practice among
the upper class of Japan by the Kamakura period. By the fourteenth century
bonsai was indeed viewed as a highly refined art form, meaning that it must
have been an established practice many years before that time.
Bonsai Trees History - Japan
