It is beneficial to learn the history of Bonsai to properly appreciate the uniqueness and beauty of the bonsai tree. As per several scholars and reports, Bonsai dates back to 200 AD, when the Chinese people began growing solitary tree specimens in pots named pun-sai.
Throughout China, Japan, and the United States, the passion for Bonsai has migrated thousands of miles to reach us today as nothing more than a true art form that brings pleasure to individuals all over the world. Bonsai and bonsai trees are cover terminology for any shrub or miniature tree grown in a pot.
Meaning and Origin of the Term Bonsai
Bonsai is a Japanese word that means “tree in a pot” in English. “Bon” indicates tray/pot, and “Sai” indicates plant, which originally came from China rather than Japan. Penjing is a Chinese phrase derived from the characters “Pen” (which means tray) and “Jing,” which means scenery. The characters for “Pen” in Chinese and “Bon” in Japanese are identical.
Where did Bonsai come from?
Even though Bonsai was traditionally associated with Japan for a long time, it began in China, migrated eastward to Korea, and then finally to Japan. Buddhist monks who wanted to bring the “outside” into their temples popularized the art of Bonsai. The Chinese began cultivating “artistic” container trees around 600 AD based on historical paintings and writings. China has been growing potted trees or Bonsai from 500 to 1,000 BC, as many scholars feel. Bonsai got introduced to Japan in the 12th century.
The Bonsai, or Penjing, was initially discovered on Prince Zhang Huai’s tombstone, which perished in 706 A.D. One of the tomb paintings depicts a servant holding a miniature landscape. While another feature, a servant holding a plant in a pot is depicted.
Art has matured since its creation, and care has been relatively advanced. However, we have not yet identified its documentation. According to history, the Chinese were obsessed with miniatures and believed that small artifacts contained magical and mystical qualities.
Thin foliage and rough trunks distinguish the Chinese bonsai trees, frequently resembling birds, dragons, birds, and animals. According to one study, these trees were quite popular among the Chinese aristocracy during the Han era, when they utilized them as a luxury gift. It spread across China over time. It evolved into this form, and they later moved it to Japan and other Asian countries.
The History of Bonsai in China
For the Chinese, Bonsai shows their love for nature through the growth of a tree and their empathy when connected to nature. They give their plants a little bit of themselves.
Planting small plants in containers was first done by the Chinese. One of the earliest Chinese stories tells us that the Han Dynasty’s emperor (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) constructed scenery in his courtyard that reflected his entire empire, replete with valleys, hills, lakes, rivers, and trees. He built the scenery for anyone to enjoy. The Bonsai was originally referred to as pun-sai during that time. The distinctions between Bonsai and pun-sai are insignificant.
It’s no coincidence that China is the birthplace of creative plant growth. The Chinese have always treasured plants and flowers, and the land feels typically endowed with diverse vegetation. Gardening was also a passion for Chinese. Most of these gardens, in reality, were small, with many little trees and bushes planted to enhance their landscapes’ scale and balance.
The term “bonsai” literally translates to “tree in a tray.” That plant and container must be the same. Even now, antique Chinese containers are often the most sought-after containers for the best Japanese Bonsai.
The first trees to be captured and later containerized are thought to have been oddly shaped and twisted species found in the wild. Since the trees were unable to be used in any way, or for everyday purposes, like lumber, they referred to them as “holy” rather than “profane.”
Their monstrous forms were evocative of yoga-style positions in which the practitioner continuously leans back on himself, recirculating essential fluids and supposedly promoting long life.
On the other hand, the Chinese were fascinated by miniaturization as science in and of itself. They believed that small things had magical and mystical powers concentrated within them.
The Chinese art of Penzai or Penjing inspired the bonsai Japanese art form. Penzai includes not only depictions of trees but also landscapes, too, at a reduced size.
However, there is a significant difference between the Bonsai and the Penzai. The Penzai allows for more creativity, allowing for the scaling down of many types of trees and the use of several forms and colors for the containers. However, Bonsai, on the contrary, emphasizes trees with longer branches and geometric containers in muted colors, featuring a more complex look.
The History of Bonsai in Japan
There is some disagreement as to when Bonsai got introduced in Japan. The introduction of bonsai trees into Japan was the catalyst for the plant’s popularity to grow. Buddhist monks brought it to the island mostly during the Heian era (794-1191), and it is similar to what legends found in China. When more rich Japanese began practicing tray planting, the plant grew in popularity.
There’s a scroll in Japanese dating from 1195 that appears to mention Bonsai. In particular, Bonsai, in general, and indoor bonsai trees, at one point, were restricted to Buddhist monks seeking to introduce a little piece of nature to their otherwise desolate quarters. Eventually, bonsai tree care and maintenance became a symbol of pride and honor for the elite.
Bonsai became recognized in Japan as a gift for the aristocracy since the wealthy largely practiced it. However, the advantage was only offered and restricted to the noble classes, Bonsai nearly died out due to this ‘exclusive’ circumstance.
Bonsai, which had nearly died out, was rediscovered by the masses across Japan after the Chinese conquered the country. Bonsai cultivation became popular among the general public in the 1300s. Throughout this colonization, Japanese Bonsai art was eventually embraced and established as part of Japanese culture.
People from many areas of life in Japan have begun to appreciate everything that bonsai art offers, allowing for the evolution of specific modifications to the old art. As a result of this, bonsai training methods have advanced significantly.
This is most likely why many believe the Bonsai tree originated in Japan. The Bonsai represents peace between the soul, man, and nature for the Japanese, and it usually resembles larger trees found in nature more precisely than its Chinese counterpart.
Over the ages, Japanese Bonsai masters developed this essentially Chinese craft until it was famous throughout the West as a Japanese art form.
Bonsai trees successfully crossed the ocean to the United States with soldiers returning after the Civil War. Even though most of the troops’ Bonsai died rapidly, excitement about bonsai plants for the home grew. Americans began to explore how to care for Bonsai properly, and Japanese-Americans helped them to gain the information they required to keep their Bonsai alive. The Modern American Bonsai is the result of a blending of Chinese and Japanese methods and traditions.
The History of Bonsai in the West
They originally presented the Bonsai to the West at the Third Global Paris exhibition, where these small trees were on display. The exhibition began in 1878 and continued until 1909. Then Bonsai was transferred to London and displayed in a newly created exhibition.
The 1876 Philadelphia Exposition, the 1878 and 1889 Paris Expositions, the 1893 Chicago Expo, the 1904 St. Louis World’s Fair, the Japan-Britain Exhibition in 1910, and the San Francisco Exposition of 1915. All the exhibitions featured Japanese Bonsai.
The first book in a European language about Japanese dwarf trees (in French) was published in 1902, while the first in English got published in 1940.
Miniature Trees and Landscapes by Halford and Yoshimura got released in 1957. Yuji Yoshimura directly connected Japanese ancient Bonsai art and the innovative Western approach, resulting in graceful, sophisticated adaptations for the world today, and it became renowned as the “Bible of Bonsai in the West.”
Many foreigners and botanical ‘experts’ saw the little trees as tormented pieces during this time, believing that the bonsai masters had tormented the plants to make them grow small. Many people expressed their dissatisfaction with those who cultivated the trees. This misperception persisted for decades until Bonsai got fully recognized in the West in 1935.
A report in Spanish from 1604 describes how, in the Philippines’ tropical islands, Chinese immigrants were adjusting to life and were cultivating miniature Ficus trees on hand-sized chunks of coral. The Chinese made Macau the first English observation of miniature potted trees (in a pan, root-over-rock) in 1637.
Following reports from Japan during the next century, there were also root-over-rock specimens. Dozens of travelers mentioned dwarf trees in their stories from Japan and China. Most of these were echoed in book reviews and reprinted articles in widely published magazines.
Bonsai spread worldwide
Slight modifications and inventions have got created over the years, particularly in Japan’s enhanced fame of the ancient Bonsai nurseries. They have been brought over to our country bit by bit by touring instructors or by returning travelers.
Teachers would instantly test out a new approach or in front of a class of students at already scheduled seminars when they returned to Japan. You could then share the new Japanese methodologies and share them widely, and this living art form could continue to develop.
For the most part, the older European language books focused on basic horticultural information and procedures for keeping plants alive. In our compositions, the needs and processes of real native plants have expanded due to Western research. Simultaneously, the focus of published content has switched to discussing the aesthetics of styling and shape.
The beginning of large-scale bonsai collections has popped up worldwide, including in Korea, Scotland, Australia, and Hungary, and in Japan, too. For enthusiasts, a slew of shows and conventions have become yearly events for investors and the public in general.
By this time, “Mica pots” had emerged from Korea, and individual potters experimented with manufacturing ceramic pots, especially non-standard designs. The alt. Bonsai newsgroup launched the first Internet Bonsai website in 1992, followed by rec. Arts; Bonsai the year after, the precursor of the Bonsai Club on the Internet. The Internet Bonsai Club is a non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of Bonsai. They share a common passion for Bonsai. In a little more than three years, they launched the first webpage for a bonsai club.
About the oldest bonsai tree
It’s amazing to consider how the world’s oldest bonsai trees were seedlings. Indeed, so much has changed. The bonsai trees have seen and endured it all from paradigm-shifting technologies to the horrific human strife.
They have had a lot of experience under their belts for many years (or pots, as the case may be). It’s no surprise that the world’s oldest Bonsai have fascinating stories to tell.
What Is the Life Expectancy of Bonsai Trees?
While most won’t live long enough to make this list, bonsai trees typically survive longer than they’d have in the wild. Unlike trees that develop naturally, bonsai surroundings meticulously are regulated to ensure that they receive sufficient light, nutrients, water, and shelter from the sun.
Your Bonsai would swiftly drain the available resources in its small container if you didn’t take such attentive care of it. On the other hand, a bonsai tree can easily survive to be over 100 years old in the appropriate conditions. Some bonsai can live for hundreds of years, even a thousand!
The World’s Oldest Bonsai Trees
The world’s oldest bonsai tree is around 1,000 years old! The bonsai tree is referred to as Ficus retusa linn. The Crespi Bonsai Museum is home to this collection in Milan, Italy. This 10-foot-tall plant impresses with a vast system of aerial roots and a wonderfully balanced form, a monument to effort and loving daily care.
After over a decade of deliberations between previous and current caretakers, the oldest Ficus bonsai was relocated to Italy in 1986 – A brief moment in this historic tree’s life. It’s the world’s oldest bonsai tree with the world’s biggest bonsai pot, which was constructed and fired in one piece.
Including this crown gem of an amazing bonsai tree, Crespi Museum has approximately 200 unique specimens available for the show. The treasured plants will help inspire tourists in coming years at the museum’s sunny arboretum.
In conclusion,
Your bonsai experience will be even more memorable if you learn a little more about the origins of bonsai trees. Bonsai has evolved over the years, countries, and even socioeconomic status to become today’s art form. On the contrary, every bonsai enthusiast should be familiar with the nature and history of Bonsai and a few other factors.
These features may include the miniature tree’s styles, beauty, and appropriate maintenance and care. Learning about and cultivating your unique bonsai tree connects you closer to history and nature, and it may be a lifelong hobby.
Regarding Bonsai and the related arts, there are about 1200 books across 26 languages. Over 50 print publications in various languages have been published, as well as five English-only online magazines. There are lots of websites and over a dozen discussion forums on the Internet. Online club bulletins and blogs can also get researched.
Bonsai references in fiction and non-fiction, TV, movies, and advertising are always coming up. Thousands of clubs meet once a year or twice or thrice a month, each with its own set of expertise, vision, personalities, and interests of bonsai.
So remember, the next time you cut a branch or re-pot your tree, you’re continuing a thousand-year history.
