Japanese bonsai in 1946

[Marc S]

http://images.google.com/hosted/lif...sai+source:life&hl=en&imgurl=f736a51246b5adaa

 

[Walter Pall]

That makes one think what 'classical bonsai' really is. The war had certainly hindered maintenance of the trees but the general structure probably was as seen already before the war.
It seems that what most think are 'classical' Japanese bonsai has developed about 20 years after these photographs.

 

[Marc S]

That makes one think what 'classical bonsai' really is. The war had certainly hindered maintenance of the trees but the general structure probably was as seen already before the war.
It seems that what most think are 'classical' Japanese bonsai has developed about 20 years after these photographs.

Weird isn't it?
I found an old book published in 1957 by Yuji Yoshimura with a lot of trees like these in it. They look very naturalistic.

 

[Walter Pall]

Some are naturalistic some are touching, some are just clumsy to our present taste. it is amazing how archaic they seem compared what we are used to now. With some I have the feeling we should go back to where they were and with some I feel that we have learned an awful lot about styling in the meanwhile.

 

[rockm]

It's natural looking because it is natural

This looks to be one of the old Ezo spruce collected long before WW2 in the Sakhalin Islands.

Old Ezo spruce material was much prized by a particular group of bonsai artists in Japan because it was incredibly old (as this tree appears to be) and naturally expressive -- needing little in the way of "design."

The group that made regular collecting trips to Kunishiri and other Northern Islands in the Japanese Archipelago (which are disputed territory with Russia) included Saburo Kato's father, who collected many such trees. Saburo Kato (who passed only a year or so ago) was famous for his naturalistic treatment of Ezo spruce. His book "Forest, Rock Planting and Ezo Spruce Bonsai" is a tour de force in "natural bonsai."

This material is even more interesting if you know who collected it and how.

http://www.phoenixbonsai.com/JYNBioSK.html

http://www.bonsai-wbff.org/octoberbonsai/real_remotehill/remotehill.html

 

[meushi]

As far as classical Japanese bonsai goes... it really started gaining traction at the turn of the previous century. The trees pictured would be from the transition phase between classical Chinese penjing/pensai and modern Japanese bonsai.

 

[Anonymous User]

The deadwood on these proves the age of the technique.




Interesting pot choices?

 

[Just Duane]

$$$

Wow, five thousand trees! Mr Tanaka had some trees! Thanks for posting. Is it just my eyes or ummm, isn't that a juniper & not a pine?

 

[milehigh_7]

fantastic and educational, thanks for posting.

 

[bonsainotwar]

Then we have this famous tree.