History of Bonsai

Although the popular belief is that bonsai originated in japan but the fact is that it was not. The people who were the original developers of this ancient art are the Chinese. Known as the pun sai in Chinese these ancient art form had been a part and parcel of the Chinese culture since as early as tang dynasty. These early specimens displayed sparse foliage and rugged, gnarled trunks which often looked like animals, dragons and birds. There are a great number of myths and legends surrounding Chinese bonsai. The basic intention behind the first forms of bonsai was to transport medicinal plants. However it soon developed into an art form. However the Chinese form of bonsai was rather crude and it did not had the delicateness and class as its Japanese counterpart.
 

Unlike popular belief bonsai came to Japan only during the later years of the eleventh century. It was during the kamakura period when bonsai was introduced into Japan. Once bonsai was introduced into Japan, the art was refined to an extent not yet approached in China. Over time, the simple trees were not just confined to the Buddhist monks. It soon became a favourite among the aristocratic class as a popular mode of presenting gift. Bonsai till than had become a manifestation of aristocracy and sophistication. Winds of change affected bonsai too and it soon evolved into different variations with each variation a artistic individuality in itself. Bonsai artists gradually looked into introducing other culturally important elements in their bonsai plantings such as rocks, supplementary and accent plants, and even small buildings and people which itself is known as the art of bon-kei. The main idea behind it was making a miniaturized view of the landscape as they had done with the tree itself. With the advent of the nineteenth century bonsai was introduced into the western world by travelers and traders alike. It soon became the object of desire among the western people .bonsai now had a new home in the west far from its origins in the ancient orient. Due to this phenomenal upsurge in the demand for bonsai, the now widely expanding industry and lack of naturally-forming, stunted plants led to the commercial production of bonsai by artists through training young plants to grow to look like bonsai. However the connoisseurs still preferred to make it the other way round.