Page 26 - BSAM 2018 Q2

Top left; Figure 5 – Original Ukiyo-e by Yoshitoshi 1839-1892. In this composition 1880, 2 P.M. – Geisha Tying
a Pink Under-Sash, note decorative Japanese round pot with dyed dragon motif hosting an aged plum, bonsai tree.
Top right; Figure 6 – Original Ukiyo-e by Toyokuni III/ Kunisada 1786-1864. In this composition 1863, Poem by Kiharu-jo, note the period grouping of garden pots,
typical of this era in Japan.
Middle; Figure 7 – age unknown, Chinese Shudei, vermillion colored rectangular, triple drained bonsai pot. Note the austere design and formal angles in the typical early period dimensions, wider than deep with medium height.
the Edo and Meiji Periods. These pictures graphically capture uniquely styled Japanese pots which would have included some imported Chinese porcelain of a similar style. (Figure 5)
The splendid range of highly decorative and colorful pottery used to grow and display Japanese bonsai of these early periods, can be accurately verified, simply through the study of both the intentional and unin- tentional bonsai captured in wood block prints. While authentic viewing of these historical sources may be difficult, the ease of research on computer search engines will reveal the broad range of situational bonsai and the pots used in these period specific records. There is also a Japanese book called The Gardens of Edo published in 2013, which explicitly details this practice through more than 200 pages and pictures. (Figure 6)
Therefore, studying the ukiyo-e pictorial history of Japanese bonsai over the past 400 years clearly dem- onstrates that antique Chinese bonsai pots have only been fashionable in Japan’s public bonsai display and exhibition during the last 100 years or even less. The current fascination and reverence directed at antique Chinese pots for use with the very best Japanese bonsai trees, completely ignores the historical importance of the unique Japanese pots, despite their equal age and unacknowledged status for use with Japanese bonsai trees. (Figure 7 and Figure 8 )
Myth Two: Antique Japanese bonsai pots are flower pots and bulb pots and were not used for bonsai at all.
Yes, the cultivation and display of most antique Japanese bonsai was typically combined with flowering or bulb plants, alongside decorative stones, as is clearly evident in the previously mentioned wood block prints of the periods. (Figure 9)
Bottom; Figure 8 –age unknown, Chinese Shidei, brown colored rectangular, triple drained bonsai pot with central decorative band.
24 | BCI | April/May/June 2018