On history of bonsai:

Bonsai, known as pun-sai, first appeared in China over a thousand years ago. At that time it was simply the practice of growing single specimen trees in pots. These early specimens displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds. These grotesque or animal-like trunks and root formations are still highly prized today. Chinese come from the landscape of the imagination and images of coiled serpents and fiery dragons might be considered far more interesting than images of trees.

Bonsai was introduced to Japan during the Kamakura period (1185 - 1333) through Zen Buddhism, which was rapidly spreading around Asia. Once was introduced into Japan, the art was refined to an extent previously not approached in China. With time, these simple trees were not just confined to the Buddhist monks and their monasteries, but were introduced to be representative of the aristocracy as a symbol of prestige and honor. The ideals and philosophy associated with have greatly changed over the years. For the Japanese, represents a fusion of strong ancient beliefs with the Eastern philosophies of the harmony between man, the soul and nature.

During special occasions, were brought indoors and displayed on specially designed shelves by the 'Japanese elite' and became an important part of Japanese life. The practices of training and pruning were not developed until later and the  small trees were still being taken from the wild at this time.

The Japanese arts reached their peak in the 17th and 18th century and were regarded very highly. again evolved to have a much higher understanding and refinement of nature. The main objective in maintaining was now the removal of all but the most important parts of the plant. The reduction of everything to just the essential elements and ultimate refinement was very symbolic of the Japanese philosophy of this time. It was around this time that became commonplace to the general Japanese public, which greatly increased the demand for the small trees collected from the wild and firmly established the art form within the culture and traditions of Japan.

Over time, began to take on different styles, each of which varied immensely from one another.

In the mid-19th century, Japan opened itself up to the rest of the world. Word soon spread of the miniature trees in ceramic containers which imitated mature trees. Further exhibitions in the latter part of the century opened the world's eyes to bonsai.

This unexpected upsurge in demand led to the commercial production of by artists who trained young plants to grow to look like bonsai. Several basic styles were adopted and the artists made use of wire, bamboo skewers and growing techniques to get the desired results.

Bonsai has now evolved to reflect the changing tastes and times within the great variety of countries, cultures and conditions in which it is practiced.

Off-site content related to history of bonsai

__________________________________________________________________

Go here for information on history of bonsai - Below we have some more links to our pages on bonsai, bonsai pots, history of bonsai, bonsai tree care - they may help you with your research.