Encore for a Famous Million Dollar Bonsai

This photo is from Bill Valavanis Bonsai Blog, as are the photos in our last post which featured bonsai by a Mr Funayama (no first name given) at the recent 8th World Bonsai Convention. The display of Mr Funayama’s trees was designed by Seiji Morimae. Here’s what Bill Valavanis wrote about the bonsai above (and below)… “Seiji Morimae and his assistants also maintain the Funayama Collection. A few years ago he (Seiji Morimae) took me to visit Mr. Funayama. During lunch Mr. Funayama showed me an old photograph of one of his prized Japanese five-needle pine bonsai from an exhibition … Continue reading Encore for a Famous Million Dollar Bonsai

Japanese Whites

A seedling? Great base, strong taper and nice balanced open branching. An altogether excellent Japanese white pine and it’s from a seedling no less! As you may know, most quality Japanese white pine bonsai have been grafted onto Black pine stock (see below). But not this one. It was grown from seed and is, as you can see, quite impressive. It was just wired (in this photo) by Michael Hagedorn (Crataegus Bonsai.) It belongs to a client of Micheal’s. More than just another bonsai in our species specific series. The Japanese white pine (Pinus parviflora) is one of the world’s … Continue reading Japanese Whites

Million Dollar (Plus!) Bonsai in Perspective

I just received this photo from Bill Valavanis. It’s that Million Dollar Japanese white pine we featured a few days ago. Now you can get a little perspective (size-wise at least). Bill’s remarks Here are Bill Valavanis‘ remarks that he sent along with the photo. Hi Wayne, I’ve just returned home from Japan and saw your post on my friend’s bonsai, the Million Dollar specimen. The million dollar bonsai WAS actually sold and at the current exchange rate on the sale day was $1,282,000. The tree is a grafted Miyajima Japanese five-needle pine which has not been on display since … Continue reading Million Dollar (Plus!) Bonsai in Perspective

Million Dollar Bonsai

This magnificent White pine was sold at the 11th Asia-Pacific Bonsai and Suiseki Convention & Exhibition in at Takamatsu, Kagawa, Japan, earlier this month. As you can see, the asking price was 100,000,000 yen (that’s close to 1.3 million dollars). I don’t know what the actual sales price was. Photo borrowed from Bonsai Tonight. $1,000,000 for a bonsai? I’ve heard of million dollar bonsai before, but don’t know if I’ve ever seen one (in person or in a photo). We don’t really know what this one sold for, but still, an asking price of 1.3 million dollars is a little … Continue reading Million Dollar Bonsai