Hornbeam (Carpinus laxiflora) forest on a slab and Shimpaku juniper on a spectacular rock. This image captures only half of a display by Grand Master Saburo Kato.
This post first appeared here in our earliest days (August, 2009). The displays themselves are from earlier (Bonsai Today issue 43, 1996). Our photo format is considerably larger now and I even cropped and enlarged a couple individual trees for closer views ( a little fuzzy, but might be helpful- see below). Otherwise, though bonsai keeps evolving, masterful bonsai is still masterful bonsai.
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.
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.
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The forest on a slab is a spruce (probably Ezo). That's a pine on the construction on the right. This display is by 'The Magician' Masahiko Kimura.
Here's a little bonus for you. It's from Saburo Kato's timeless classic and still one of the very best bonsai books anywhere: Forest, Rock Planting & Ezo Spruce Bonsai. And in case you're wondering why, that's Grand Master Kato's display at the top of the post.
Here's the Shimpaku from the top. A little fuzzy but I've seen a lot worse.
Another experiment in cropping and enlarging. The original image was smaller so it's even fuzzier than the one just above.
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