That’s Robert Steven dangling from the rope ladder. I don’t know who his friend is, but he better have a pretty good grip. This photo is from Robert’s new book, Mission of Transformation. The location is in Java, one of the islands of Indonesia. The object of this and some other perilous climbs is the wild Premna (P. microphylla and P. serratifolia).
Life and limb
As the supply of magnificent wild potential bonsai dwindled in Japan, collectors risked life and limb hanging from remote mountain cliffs (like on Mount Ishizuchi below) to get at that last old shimpaku or pine. Now, sadly, even those are gone (fortunately, many survive in pots). These days, with the spread of bonsai, cliff scaling and other dangerous undertakings have moved to places like the Alps, Rockies, and in Robert Steven’s case, Indonesia.
Numerous bonsai have been collected from the cliffs of Mount Ishizuchi, one of Japan’s wildest and most inhospitable mountains. This photo appears in The Magician, the Bonsai Art of Kimura 2 (one of Bonsai Today’s Masters’ Series books by Stone Lantern Publishing).
Here’s Robert and friend again, defying gravity for the sake of the perfect Premna bonsai. This photo is also from Robert’s new book, Mission of Transformation.
For more on Yamadori go to part one, Deadwood South Dakota.