Old Bonsai & Ancient Trees

This magnificent Juniper bonsai is said to be 800 years old, which makes it a very old bonsai. But not the oldest bonsai we know of and nowhere near the oldest living tree in the world. It resides at Kunio Kobayashi’s Shunka-en Bonsai Museum in Tokyo. I borrowed the photo from Bonsai Empire. Old Tjikko. This lonely Norway spruce (Picea abies) is said to be 9,500 years old. But the trunk you see in this photo is only a few hundred years old. The tree above is called Old Tjikko. It originally gained fame as the world’s oldest tree, but … Continue reading Old Bonsai & Ancient Trees

Japanese Slab Forest & Other Issues

This illustrious forest is from Bonsai Today issue 23. Among other things, it shows how one very strong tree can add drama and power to a forest planting. Though the original doesn’t say, I’ll guess that it’s by Saburo Kato (Japan’s most revered bonsai artist) and that the trees are Ezo spruce. Other treasures like this Most of the content in Bonsai Today magazine is from the old Japanese masters, and even though there is much to be excited about in contemporary Western bonsai, you would be hard pressed to find a forest with this level of refined precision anywhere … Continue reading Japanese Slab Forest & Other Issues

Felix Laughlin’s Photos from Japan

Rarely so red. You don’t see too many Junipers in red pots. For that matter you don’t see that many bonsai in red pots. It’s a tough color to work with, especially when it’s this bright. And no, the juniper isn’t dead; it just has a strong case of winter color. It resides at Mr. Daizo Iwasaki’s Takasago-an. A few friends and a camera Not too long ago Felix Laughlin, President of our National Bonsai Foundation (and the second World Bonsai Friendship Federation chairman) packed up his camera and took a trip to Japan with some friends. The photos shown … Continue reading Felix Laughlin’s Photos from Japan

The Magician’s Formal Forest

Finished for now. Three years after planting (see below). Masahiko Kimura (aka ‘The Magician‘) styled this Ezo spruce (Picea Glehnii) planting with a high mountain stand of conifers in mind. Notice how the trees on the outside lean out, which is what you would expect in a natural stand of trees. You may also notice how Kimura enhanced the feeling of age by removing or jinning about half of the limbs (from below). Trees tend to shed limbs as they age. This is especially true of trees in forests where growth follows light; at tree tops and at the outer … Continue reading The Magician’s Formal Forest

Masters’ Gallery: Group Displays #2

The small Zelkova in the forest plantings on each side create the feeling distant panoramas. The center tree in the curved pot is a Nanking cherry (Prunus tomentosa). The artist is Saburo Kato‘s brother, Hideo. There are also two barely visible companion plants (five elements in all). Masters’ Gallery This is the second post in our masters’ gallery series. It and the first post in this series are from an article by Saburo Kato that appears in Bonsai Today issue 43.

Master’s Gallery #2: Group Displays

From left to right: unidentified grass, Japanese black pine (Pinus thunbergii), flowering ‘Nippon Bells’ (Shortia uniflora) companion plant, suiseki (viewing stone), another unidentified companion, and a very stately Needle juniper (Juniperus ridgida). By Masao Komatsu. Group displays Each group display in this post is by a single artist. Each display shows mastery in two art forms: bonsai and bonsai display. The photos come from an article by Saburo Kato in Bonsai Today issue 43.

Two Masterpieces by Saburo Kato

Ezo spruce (Picea glehnii) was Saburo Kato’s favorite tree. This one is from an untranslated Japanese book on Mr. Kato’s bonsai that his son Hatsuji sent us in appreciation for the gift we (Stone Lantern) sent Mr. Kato’s family when he passed away last year. I picked this one for a couple reasons. First, there’s the dead tree. You see dead trees in bonsai forests occasionally, but not that often. In nature however, dead trees abound, so why not put them in you bonsai plantings? The other feature that strikes me is the lush forest floor. I don’t know if … Continue reading Two Masterpieces by Saburo Kato

Kato sama, Kato sensei, but never Kato san

This photo of Saburo Kato was taken by Morten Albek in June of 2005 during an interview he and two friends conducted with Mr. Kato, Japan’s most famous bonsai master of his generation. Kato sensei passed away in February 2008. I only saw Saburo Kato once. It was in 2005 at the WBC (World Bonsai Convention) in Washington DC. I was busy selling books and magazines from our booth when he walked by. He was immistakenly unmistakenly himself, very old and thin, with an air that radiated dignity. I was so taken by surprise that I blurted out “Kato san!” … Continue reading Kato sama, Kato sensei, but never Kato san