Most bonsai shots show the whole tree, though you sometimes see partial tree photos (teasers). In this case, the photo has no trouble communicating the power and character of this magnificent bonsai, even if it only shows a little more than half of the tree and completely excludes the pot.
All paths lead to Min Hsuan Lo
I found the photo on one of the numerous bonsai galleries on facebook. It wasn’t attributed, so I traced it though several other photo galleries and finally landed on Budi Sulisyo (bonsai artist and author). It’s not Budi’s tree, but he did attribute it to its rightful owner, Min Hsuan Lo, a famous Taiwanese bonsai artist and teacher.
The value of teaser photos
Min Hsuan Lo’s photo gallery of this tree show a series of partial-tree shots. The value of these shots is that each one emphasizes details that you might otherwise miss. In the the whole-bonsai photo below, you see a magnificent powerful bonsai. When eyes linger for awhile, some of the larger details stand out: the beautiful pot, the powerful trunk that divides into several strong branches, the vibrant well-balanced crown and so forth. However, when you look at photo above, finer details stand out: the spaces between the lower left branches, the well-developed fine branching, individual surface roots, individual leaves and so forth. Understanding and appreciation of the tree has deepened.
Here it is in all its world-class glory. Ficus microcarpa by Min Hsuan Lo.
Special
Tropical Bonsai by Budi Sulistyo
Speaking of Budi and tropical bonsai: Two hundred plus of some of the most powerful and exciting tropical trees in the world (including another extraordinary ficus by Min Hsuan Lo). Reg 35.00, Now 25.00 (actually lower with site-wide discounts).
Wish I lived in Taiwan in stead of the North East!I don’t think it is possible to grow a ficus of such power outside of the tropics.
Hi Maggie,
No doubt. Developing any tropical this far north is all uphill.
Location is only a small part of developing such a powerful bonsai.
Min Hsuan Lo is an immense bonsai talent who works very hard to achieve these results.
Hi Alan,
No doubt about Min’s talent. He’s one of the very elite bonsai artists in the world. Still, it’s almost impossible to develop tropicals in the Northeast, unless you want to go the way of indoor pot growers.