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13 Aug, 2021

History of bonsai

According to the book "Bonsai Cultivation" written by Iswarta Bima (2019), the term bonsai refers to the Japanese language, namely bon which means pot, and sai which means plant.

Thus, bonsai can be interpreted as a plant that is stunted and planted in a pot.

However, not all potted plants can be called bonsai if they do not have bonsai criteria.

Dwarf in the art of bonsai is a plant that has a smaller appearance than the original plant.

Therefore, herbaceous plants or shrubs, even though they are less than one meter tall, cannot be categorized as dwarfs because their original height is only about one meter. However, although the word bonsai is taken from Japanese, the pioneer of the art of bonsai is China.

Bonsai art first appeared in China during the reign of the Tsin dynasty (265-420). During the Tang dynasty (618-907), the art of dwarfing this plant was increasingly in demand. That's why we see a lot of bonsai plants in the paintings made during the Tang dynasty.

Chinese society at that time did not know the name of bonsai. Today, the art of pruning plants is commonly called penjing o and this art is very popular with royal officials.

The development of penjing is carried out by monks who are Taoist, where this plant is considered to represent one of the main teachings of their religion, namely the creation of balance and harmony between humans and nature. During the reign of the Yuan dynasty (1280-1368), many officials, students, and traders from Japan brought bonsai to their country, which then grew rapidly.

While the term bonsai itself appeared in the reign of Kamakura (1192-1333), which was recorded in Kasuga Srhire. Since the Kamakura period, this dwarf plant has become increasingly popular which eventually covers all levels of society.

Bonsai plants became increasingly popular during the Edo reign (1615-1867), especially after being introduced as a color giver in beautifying paintings and poetry in the form of southerm sung (a kind of painting and literary art at the end of the Edo reign). However, bonsai idealism and philosophy have changed a lot over the years.

For the Japanese, bonsai is a combination of strong ancient beliefs with eastern philosophy, namely harmony between man, soul, and nature. In 1914, the first bonsai exhibition in Japan was held. It aims to foster public attention to the art of bonsai.

From 1934 until now, an annual exhibition has been held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art that emphasizes the work of attractive bonsai. From here, bonsai spread to all corners of the world, including Indonesia. In fact, until now, the art of dwarfing trees does not only belong to the Chinese or Japanese but all nations in the world.