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Bonsai is a Japanese art form which miniaturizes natural landscapes
within the confines of a low-sided pot or tray. It engenders in the
viewer a sense of the beautiful changes woven by, and the rhythmic
heartbeat of, nature throughout the different seasons of the year.
In determining the quality of the tree, an appreciation of bonsai takes in
several key points: the stability of the root spread, the gracefulness of the way
the trunk tapers upwards, the balance of the branches and the simulation of
age and maturity. In other words, the value of a bonsai is decided by how well
the grower can subtly refine the aesthetic feeling of the tree whilst respecting
its innate, natural essence.
Today, bonsai has come to be highly regarded as a “wonderful aspect of
traditional Japanese culture” by many, principally in the countries of Asia,
North America and Europe. The value of bonsai exports from Japan in 2011
was some ten times that of a decade ago, a new record that testifies to the art
form’s growing global popularity. |
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| © AFLO |
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