These seven bonsai were part of a recent contest. They are in no particular order here, just my attempt to randomize.
The challenge for you is to come up with your five best in order. Explanations with each pick are welcome, though not necessary.
The honor system. There is no reward for winning. In fact, we won’t choose winners. The reason for this is; the contest and results have been published elsewhere with some detailed explanations. We’ll post this information later, but for now it would be more fun to see your results, before you go looking for the original to see what others have to say.
The honor system part two. Put your results in the comments. However, don’t read the other comments before you do. Be brave and unafraid to be a fool!
My top 5 is; 1 – 9 – 5 – 20 – 3
I’m familiar with some, but don’t care how famous or expensive they are, it’s just my taste in order. :)
I’ll play. In my mind the order of the top five:
3
20
9
2
6
20 – good container choice, feeling of age, nice flow
1 – same
3 – same
2 – nice tree but container could be chosen better
9 – I like five needle pines
9,5,2,6,3,20
I can only list them in the order that they appeal to me – judging is very subjective : 9,1,5,6,3,2,20
Just my own likes. No 20,3,1,6,5,9,2.
Thanks for doing this. A great way to learn.
I like them in the following order:
5th: 5; wondreful dead wood. I wish the living part of the tree was more substantial.
4th: 2; wish I could see it in person. Probably would rank higher
3rd: 3 ; this and the next three trees are so close it hurts to pick one over another. I love the naturalism of this tree.
2nd: 9; might be number 1 with a different pot
1st: 1; well balanced and rugged and who can argue with that old carbuncles trunk!
Winner (1) is 9
Number 2, runner up is 20
Third is 1
Fourth is 2
Fifth is 3
Sixth is 6
Seventh is 5 Overly distracting dead wood
1 > 20 > 6 > 9 > 3
1: strong full triangulation of canopy despite “gnarly” base
20: love how the R edge of canopy flows with the extended Right side of pot
6: really beautiful perspective
9: nebari
3: despite the “confusion” at the base of trunk, the canopy is beautifully symmetrical
Keeping in mind that I’m a complete amateur who has only recently gotten into bonsai, I am happy to put my ignorance on full display (in order of favorite to least favorite).
1 – This tree is incredibly evocative of a tree growing on a mountainside. The deadwood and foliage seem to be in complete balance and the base of the tree is amazing.
20 – The tree is impressive, Grade A stuff. But the real marvel is in the whole package. The pot, the moss, heck! even the stand combine to make this entire view spectacular. I feel like the artisan really considered everything and how each part affected each other part.
2 – This has great nebari and I appreciate how much time and effort must have gone into producing the ramification and expressive moving trunk.
6 – I like forest plantings and leafless trees… the only drawback to me on this one are a couple roots that seem to stick out in the front. Otherwise, beautiful…
5 – Spectacular deadwood… well groomed living portion. It just seems to me almost like the dead and living parts are of two minds.
3 – Love the balance between dead and living wood. a couple bulbous areas threw me off.
9 – Ramification and pads are so neat on this clearly old tree. Only reason it’s down here is because something about the trunk looked off to me.
All of them are light years ahead of me. I’d be happy to own a single tree half as impressive as my least favorite. Please let me know if I’m just completely off base!
First is No. 9 – perfect tree/pot combination, gnarly old bark on the trunk.
Second is No. 2 – fantastic roots and a beautiful pot.
Third is No. 6 – elegant group with great ramification developing and a quirky root coming from the main tree in the left side group.
Fourth is No. 20 – I just love this style and pot combination.
Fifth is No. 3 – although it has lots of deadwood it’s not highly stylised (I’m not so sure about the pot – it keeps taking my eye away from the tree).
First = #1, second = #20, third = #6, fourth = #5, fifth = #3.
My choices are—–1–20–2–9–6………I would like to own ALL of them……matty
#1- Rank- First: The amazing interplay of the writhing trunk, deadwood and fine detailed foliage wins—the stability of the base holds it all together.
#5- Rank- Seven: the lack of attempt to make harmonious the youthful looking top and old fluttering deadwood seems an atrocity.
#20- Rank-Third Beautiful naturalized scene with great fine detail but the trunk seems over-hidden.
#2- Rank-Fifth: A glorious tree with a culturally driven and over-imposed design. Please cut off the dangler!—wire the branches with flow and fine movement!
#6- Rank-Forth: This composition earns this rank by default. It is sedate, a little pedestrian and has a few irritating errant roots but could be graceful.
#3- Rank- Second: for the muscular anthropomorphism and flow.
#9- Rank-Six: An imposing historic, bulky, stereo-type of a tree. Its culturally seeped branch wiring and ridiculous lowest right branch insult its whole being.
1. #20
2. #9
3. #1
4. #2
5. #3
First #1,
second #20
third #6
fourth #5
fifth #3
…just because.
I believe you can only judge what you like . Bonsai is an art form there is beauty in all trees. Anybody who says someone elses artwork is good or bad that is there own opinion. Yes I do like some trees better than others. If the person that grows the tree likes it thats all that matters.
In order of most aesthetically pleasing to me:
5, 1, 20, 6, 3, 2, 9
1-3-20-9-6
1-Perfect balance and imposing base.
3-Great example of a “survivor”.
20-Matches pot perfectly. Another beautiful survivor.
9-Very strong presence, yet it too has been dealt environmental blows during its past.
6-Quite natural, and the center gap is so inviting.
5
1
20
3
Dear EPTS (aka Eric?),
Your comments though true, may not tell the whole story. Both the view ‘you can only judge what you like’ and ‘if the person that grows the tree likes it thats all that matters’ reflect a completely individual and isolated perspective and forget other people and how our individual views interact with and are influenced by others (culture). In other words, ‘no man (or woman and especially no child) is an island.’
20,1,3,4,6
I like the composition of 6 but there is not a lot of ramification shown in the branching. this would probably show better in leaf.
5 is my least favorite as the tree has no coherent life history. the heavy jin on the left speaks of long favorable growth in that direction which is killed off and now the environment favors the opposite direction? Plus the Jin seems to be the focus of the display instead of a complement to the foliage.
5-1-2-3-9-20-6