Sometimes it's helpful to break a bonsai down into its constituent parts. What you might see in this case, is a somewhat classical root-over-rock Trident maple bonsai accentuated by two rather long, undulating branches on either side. For some of us, there might be a temptation to cut them off; to revert to something safer and more recognizable as bonsai. But sometimes it's a good idea to think twice before acting. You can always cut a branch off later, but you can't put it back on. The photo is from the National Bonsai Foundation's 2013 calendar.
At least two points are touched on in this post. First is how we view and deal with bonsai eccentricities and second is a continuation of our discussion about sacrifice branches. Part of this post originally appeared April 2013. The rest is new.
I wonder if the two long branches on the tree above were originally left on as sacrifice branches (see our last two posts for more on the topic) and then at some point the artist (Stanley Chinn) realized how much they enhance the tree, so he decided to leave them on.
The sacrifice branches on this clump style Japanese maple are there to help thicken the main trunk. The photo is borrowed from Walter Pall's Bonsai Adventures where you can learn more about this tree, sacrifice branches and a whole range of bonsai topics.
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