Bonsai History
Bonsai is the practice of growing single tree in pots. This practice was wide spread in China over a thousand years before it was referred to as pun-sai. This art had specific specimens that had little or sparse foliage and it had rugged or gnarled trunks that resembled dragons or birds. Although it is a Chinese tradition, the bonsai trees were taken up by the Japanese between the years 1185 to 1333, that is the Kamakura period, this Chinese culture was taken there by the then fast spreading Zen Buddhism. The culture is thought to have been introduced into Japan in the AD 1195, though debatable. The mentioned time could possibly be accurate in that there is mention of it in a Japanese scroll attributed to that time. When this Chinese tradition was introduced into Japan, it was refined much more than it had been in its original country. The bonsai trees were bound within the Buddhist monks and monasteries, but later on they were allowed to represent prestige and honor. The Japanese ideals and philosophy of bonsai represent the ancient beliefs on the harmony of the nature, man and the soul. By 14th century, bonsai was highly refined and this means that it must have been in existence many years before. The words written in the Japanese scroll stated that finding pleasure and appreciating the plants was to...
Read More
Recent Comments