Chapter 61 Displaying Bonsai

What exactly are the rules for showing bonsai? It depends on where you are. The accepted practices are quite different between penjing, traditional Japanese, and western exhibits. Like the trees, differences in how they are displayed reflect cultural and social differences in the three groups.

61.1 Penjing and Other Ancient Ancestors

The art of Chinese penjing can be reliably traced back at least 2000 years, although the roots of it are certainly older. Originally an aristocratic pastime, penjing became a way for commoners to recreate and reflect upon nature, while aristocrats focused on building large formal gardens.

According to Hu Yunhua’s book “Penjing: the Chinese Art of Miniature Gardens,” artists developed several regionalized styles that were immediately recognizable. These styles tended to:

Follow the same basic idealized form;
Use just a few species (if you look at the list of “traditional” bonsai species, most of them in fact were used for penjing first!); and
Have a particular style of pot or tray that was typical for the region.

For example, Suzhou style features elms and sagretia with antique, graceful trunks. In contrast, Yangzhou style focuses on heavily twisted trunks of pine, cypress, and box that resemble fanciful dragons. Still other styles focus on creating elaborate tray scenes of karst pillars and craggy coastlines rather than styling a single tree. Each region’s trees and their pots or trays are matched to particular stands; thus, pot, stand, and tree form a unified whole. Devotees of several distinct styles are still active in China today. The history and landscape that nurtured a particular style will be visible in the lines of the tree or tray planting, and how it is displayed.

Ideally, penjing will be displayed in a garden setting, but they are not treated as isolated specimens; they are embedded elements within an overall garden design. Carefully matched specimens often are symmetrically arranged on either side of a viewing table, archway, or window. To enhance the design, penjing are placed against highly contrasting (but not always neutrally colored) backgrounds. Generally, an indoor display follows the same rules as bonsai. However, indoor displays are uncommon. In fact, the top penjing arena in China has a retractable roof to allow sunlight in for viewing.

61.2 Japanese Bonsai

Japan’s national passion for bonsai began with the reign of emperor Meiji (1868–1912), when Japanese ceramics technology advanced to a point that very shallow trays and pots could be manufactured reliably. Nurseries dedicated to producing starter trees appeared, and many of the traditional styles and techniques we use today were developed. New species (many from China) also were introduced into culture. It was also during this period that the tokanoma (viewing alcove) became part of a typical Japanese home. Principles for displaying bonsai also developed in the Meiji and subsequent periods. However, these rules were still in flux as late as 1935.

Tokanoma display space with two classical arrangements of ikebana. Link to original image.

Tokanoma display space created by the Hinoki Club of Roanoke Virginia for the NC Arboretum Bonsai Expo. Original photo by A. Daniel Johnson.

Buddhist philosophy dictates how bonsai are displayed in a tokanoma. The tree is one of three elements that form an asymmetric (scalene) triangle, and are unified by a single theme or mood. A scroll or painting is mounted high and to one side of the back wall. This first point represents heaven. The lowest point is the earth, represented by a stone, balancing accent plant, or other piece of hardscape. The bonsai, placed on a short stand, forms the middle level or point of the asymmetric triangle, and represents living nature. The arrangement provides family members with a focal point in their daily lives for quiet reflection upon the natural world.

Traditional style display, similar to what would be set up in a tokanoma. Link to original image

When you look at a grouping face–on, the tree that is obviously the tallest (or has been raised up using stands) is placed off center.
Distances between individual trees are never the same, and the distance of the trees from the front of the display table or bench is staggered.
All trees are on some type of stand or riser, even if it is a simple square wooden board or flat stone.
Unlike penjing, all stands should be dark wood, and significantly larger than the pot, but they are not specifically matched to the pot. Rather, stands are selected to adjust the heights of individual trees so their foliage forms a scalene triangle when viewed head–on.
Indoors the background should always be a neutral color; outdoors, a bamboo or willow screen can provide the backdrop.
The table itself should be covered with a neutral color drape that does not compete with the pots for attention.

61.3 Using Artifacts to Evoke a Sense of Place

In North America we use a wider range of woody species than in Asia. Choices include traditional Asian species, but also tropicals, and native European and North American trees. Unlike traditional bonsai and penjing regional styles, our trees may not all belong to one stylistic group. This makes it harder to create a coherent display of a personal collection.

Having so many species available does not necessarily mean they all show up in exhibits either. Normal exhibition practices favor thematic groupings, meaning unique trees may not ever be shown. For example, in traditional Japanese exhibitions a table theme often is developed by the organizers using trees from different entrants. Consciously or not, this biases participants towards entering trees that fit in natural thematic groups.

A group of similar trees on display at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Link to original image

When displaying bonsai in groups, similar trees are once again brought together to form thematic groupings. The entire grouping is arranged as a series of scalene triangles.

Other exhibitions allow clubs to design a single table display from their members’ trees. This also biases which trees are shown, since clubs will build their display around one particular visual design. Again, some beautiful specimens (tropicals especially) may have to stay home just because they do not fit the table theme for the show.

I am not saying we should abandon thematic groups entirely, just that we should provide some exhibition space for trees that fall outside thematic norms too. One way to create a unified table theme with dissimilar trees is by using artifacts: soil coverings (sand, stones, etc.), additional ceramic or metalwork, or other hard goods that, placed with or near a styled tree, evoke a specific location, emotional feeling, or other visceral or subconscious response. The unifying theme of the table or collection is that the trees are consciously styled to be self-contained, not as a group.

To show some examples of this technique, I modified a photo of a club collection of bonsai on display at the Chelsea Flower Show. The first version below shows how the club styled their collection originally.

The original version, showing a club display organized so that the different species of trees in the display are united by a common theme. Link to original image.

In the modified photo below I used Photoshop to insert photos showing examples of different artifacts that intentionally highlight the differences between trees, and help each tree tell its own story.

A club display with additional artifacts behind the back four trees. Far left: a trident maple with a thick trunk, backed by a copy of a Mayan red platter (Classic Period, ca. 600-800 AD). Together they evoke a feeling of a tropical jungle. Left center: an azalea in flower, backed by a reproduction of a silk painting of Mount Fuji (ca. 1900.) The painting is placed so it looks like a “borrowed landscape,” one of the traditional features of Japanese gardens. Right center: a Japanese maple paired with a statue of the Buddha meditating from Gandhara (Kushan dynasty, 200 to 400 AD.) This tableau evokes a feeling of calm and reflection, like visiting a Buddhist temple. Far right: a group of black spruces, with a photograph of the setting sun as a backdrop. This pairing brings to mind a sunset behind the sparsely forested Black Hills of the American West. Link to inserted image 1; inserted image 2; inserted image 3; inserted image 4.

This is not such a radical idea; penjing artists seek to evoke a connection to their particular region of China. Furthermore, they often include small boats and figurines in compositions. Similarly, the goal of the Japanese tokanoma is to encourage reflection upon the larger spirit of nature. Individual objects are chosen for the tokanoma that reflect the tree being displayed. This display strategy simply expands on these traditions.

Personally I like this idea because a greater variety of trees can be shown in a single setting or venue. Treating each tree as a separate artistic tableau encourages viewers to travel through the mind of the artist to the point of their inspiration. The artist has a chance to express themselves beyond just the tree, and incorporate additional items that make a statement about themselves and their inspirations. I suspect that viewers who are not bonsai enthusiasts may find them interesting too.

Tradition is important, but I think that embracing a broader, more expansive view of bonsai could engage more of the public, and perhaps attract new practitioners.

Of course, that’s just my two cents worth.