After restyling by Isaburo Nishiyama. A bamboo stick is used to support guy wires on this famous old sinuous root (netsuranari) Japanese white pine. See below for the before shot and for the original photo taken in 1937. All are from Bonsai Today issue 44.
The original lives
According to an article that appears in Bonsai Today issue 44, the tree pictured here is the first netsuranari (sinuous root style) bonsai. It came to light in 1937 at a famous Japanese auction where it was distinguished from the older clump style bonsai. Sinuous root style have multiple trunks growing from a single horizontal sinuous root. Most sinuous root bonsai are Japanese white pines (aka Japanese five needle pine, Pinus parviflora & Pinus parvifolia).
The original. 1937.
Before. This is how it looked when it came into Mr Nishiyama’s hands, more than fifty years after the original photo (above).
If you would like to see all the steps involved in the restyling and learn more about the history of this famous tree, here’s where you can do it.
Try as I can I only see 6 trunks in the 1937 and before pictures. The After pic at the top of thepage has 7. Much better composition, but is it still a true Netsuranari with an additional root mass in there? Either way, its gorgeous.
Hi Zack,
The seventh trunk is hidden behind another trunk (I think it’s the main one) in the old photo, so it’s still the same netsuranari.