For the last six years or so, I have been studying Chinese penjing, particularly the literati examples I’ve run across. I’ve been able to do this mainly through the books and writings of Zhao Qingquan. “Literati Style Penjing” not only has excellent photos but also includes how-to examples. In the last couple of years, Hong Kong Bonsai Pots has been posting on Facebook. I have found excellent examples of Chinese literati pictures through them.
Finally, I decided to make a literati myself in the Chinese mode. I used gingko biloba tubiformis as the tree. This gingko cultivar is unusual in that while the tree is young, it puts out leaves that are rolled up. They eventually flatten out As the tree ages, the leaves come out more flattened to start with. The tree is about 31” tall.
The tree is in a blue cascade pot, suggesting a large body of water for the mudman Fisherman figurine to fish in. Rather than pointing to the center of the pot, as is the custom, he fishes outside.