BONSAI STYLES
In the bonsai cultivation the Japanese have given great importance to the rules concerning the various forms that the plant must take; for this reason the styles that aim to achieve aesthetic perfection have been created. Styles arise from the observation and imitation of nature and masterpieces created by great masters.
Each plant has its own personality and characteristics that the bonsai must try to accentuate as much as possible without losing the naturalness of the living being. It is important that the intervention of man should be noted as little as possible and let the observer only imagine the action of time and seasons.
Below is a brief description of the various styles. Note that if each of the styles has fixed basic characteristics, the most precise setting rules may vary.
TRONCHI GEMELLI / NADRE AND SON (Sokan)
Style so called because it consists of two subjects with the same sinuosity and growth pattern, one bigger and one smaller that give the idea of a mother who keeps her son close to her. The base of the two trunks is very close and sometimes it can be the same. For a good result, the point of separation of the two trunks must be as low as possible, so as to suggest the image of two completely autonomous trees, but grown close by a whim of the case.
CASCADE / SEMI-CASCADE (Kengai / Han-Kengai)
This stile simulates a plant that lives clinging to a cliff where, bent by the weather, tends to grow downwards, the trunk bends immediately after the nebari (term that indicates the roots in sight and the base of the trunk) and often the apex reaches lower than the base of the vessel. If the tip stops above the lower edge of the vessel, it is called semi-cascade or prostrate. The latter is inspired more by the inclined trees on the banks of the rivers or lakes
ROOTS ON ROCK AND IN ROCK (Ishitsuki)
In the style of roots on the rock, a fragment of rock protrudes from the pot soil. The tree grows clinging to the rock. The roots are visible on the stone to the point where they penetrate the soil. The less frequent is the style with roots in the rock: it presents one or more plants that grow with the roots completely inserted in the ravines of the rock filled with soil. In this case the roots do not cling to the outside of the rock and do not descend into the vase.
LETTERATI (Bunjin)
Black pine, literate
The style of the writers is considered the most elegant and artistic of all and simulates a tree born in an inconvenient place such as covered by other trees or in an area often struck by lightning or atmospheric events. The hair grows only in the highest part and is often very small as well as the size of the trunk. The tree has in fact spent most of its energy to grow in height in search of light in competition with neighboring trees.
A BOSCHETTO (Yose-Ue)
It is a very suggestive style that includes more plants placed in a low and wide vase or on a plate. It is very important the position of each individual plant that must give a feeling of depth development of the grove over several years and above all naturalness.
A Zattera (Ikaa)
Style similar to the Grove with the variant that all the stems are joined by the same root. It represents a fallen trunk on the side that has given life to a new vegetation. Also in this case the rules previously seen in terms of tree proportions and scenographic aspect are valid. This forest can be realized with a lying tree, where the trunk will act as the main root that connects the various stems (the former branches)