OK for a display?

Silentrunning

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This is a very nice oriental statue that stands 10” tall. I was wondering if anyone has ever used something like this as an accent piece when displaying their trees. Comments please.
 

penumbra

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If it speaks to you, go for it. I think you would be surprised what people will display with their bonsai.
 

Forsoothe!

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I'm infamous for my Chinese pots and I can tell you that il cognoscenti will crucify you. And, they use big nails.
 

sorce

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You see how the rubber duckies "speak" to the yellow in the tree?

I believe that's why it works.

The statue is a bit ornate and will distract from the other parts in a traditional display.

Not saying you can't use it, but success WILL be hard.

I would try to get the foliage at least 3x the size of the statue away from the statue via big tree, stand,etc.

Sorce
 

Silentrunning

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If you like it, use it!

Being a Dutchman, this type of earthenware reminds me of https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Delftware
It could very well be European of origin.

My wife and I have been collecting Delft for years. We just made a trip to Michigan and visited the American factory in Holland, Michigan. We also bought another pair of wooden shoes. :)
 

kakejiku

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Several things to think about when utilizing a piece in a display. I think Bill was referencing size...The tree size would need to be appropriate for the accent used. In this case I am guessing the piece to be 8-10" high. So how large would the tree need to be?

Another point would be what story you are trying to convey. With the Shi or Foo Dogs surrounding the piece, to me it indicates this is a depiction of a Chinese emperor. Are there any tales relating to the emperor and trees? I found this one below:
How Tea came to China
According to a Chinese legend, tea was discovered accidentally by emperor Shennung, 神農氏,
ct1-176x300.png
approximately 2737 years before Christ.
The emperor set up camp with his entourage in the shade of a large tree. the cook prepared a fire and a pot with boiling water over it. The heat of the fire brought some of the leaves of the long branches of the tree to dry out. Suddenly, a fierce wind got up and blew some of the leaves into the pot with boiling water. The water turned golden and a highly pleasant scent appeared. The emperor tried the drink and was delighted by the scent and delicious taste. Being immediately aware of the refreshing and invigorating effect, the emperor let out the sound

The last point is that this is ceramic, which would be a more informal material. Using a formal species such as a pine or evergreen may be difficult to harmonize....so a Deciduous, flowering or fruiting species of tree may better complement this particular accent piece....
 

shinmai

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I have found some amazing pieces of blue and white transferware at my Asian grocer, for peanuts. The shallow, bowl-shaped sake cups make nice accent or kusamono pots. I have one piece that looks like your first picture, already drilled and waiting for it’s first occupant come spring. That tall hex pot [#5] is very cool.
If you could lay hands on an Ulmus hollandica hybrid, planting it in a Delft shoe would be clever, indeed—though you would constantly be having to explain the joke.
 

ghues

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A wooden accent for display? Douglas Fir branch stub driftwood piece ......finished with shoe polish and mineral oil. Stands about 7”.
 

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penumbra

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I like it very much. I have used shoe polish many times to tone woods, especially antiques.
 

Leo in N E Illinois

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@Silentrunning
- the 10 inch tall figurine is usable in a display. As @kakejiku indicated, most likely best with deciduous & flowering bonsai. How large a bonsai it is to be used with is all dependent on perspective. With the figurine in the foreground, the tree on a tall stand in the background representing a mountain, they can be of similar size. If the two were paired side by side, I would suggest the tree be 3 to 5 times the height of the figurine. The use of stands, and the use of foreground and background placements can make just about any combination work. As mentioned earlier home displays the "rules" don't matter. For public exhibition, one needs to read the show rules specific to the exhibition, and get a general feel for the guidelines for exhibition. When displaying publicly, one much work with the space the exhibition gives each exhibitor.

There are few books that actually address display. One has a short chapter, "the Alcove" in The Beauty of Bonsai by Junsun Yamamoto 2010 first edition. Its not the best, translated from Japanese but the photos give you a sense that in Japan, bonsai are not as tiny as American pop culture leads one to believe. The Chapter on Alcoves gives a good visual on perspective, the author places a large traditional doll in a display with a pine, and it works, but the distance and alignment between the tree and the doll need to be seen to appreciate how it works.

So experiment. Use perspective. Make it work.
 

ABCarve

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A wooden accent for display? Douglas Fir branch stub driftwood piece ......finished with shoe polish and mineral oil. Stands about 7”.
Fabulous piece of wood although I would like it better if it wasn’t mounted and simply laying on on surface.
 

shinmai

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My two cents: it would be more effective/attractive on its own without the stand. I have several pieces of beach driftwood that I’ve found. One or two might become stands for mame trees, but I have two with natural ‘pockets’ in them. One will definitely hold an accent plant, and the other could make a kusamono/moss planting.
I‘m in the process of looking for a branch end with three ‘legs’ that can be cut and leveled to make a small stand.
I really do like the way you finished the piece to bring out the depth of the grain and the contours.
 
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