Hour 10:31 04 Feb 26

History of Ornamental Bonsai TreesBonsai, or Japanese miniature trees, is the art of cultivating trees and plants in reduced sizes. The origins of bonsai date back more than 1,500 years to China and Japan. Traditionally, every noble Japanese family passed this tree on to the next generation, preserving it as a precious treasure from one generation to another.In Chinese and especially Japanese culture, landscape design is based on transferring nature in its entirety into the garden, unlike Western approaches, which consider only a portion of nature as a garden.

The Japanese cherish nature itself, not a replica of it, and regard Western-style gardening as an imitation of nature. Bonsai is a form of artistic horticulture that has long been practiced in various ways in China and Japan. Today, this art is known worldwide and is practiced to varying degrees across the globe.Linguistically, bon means tray, dish, or pot, and sai means cultivation; thus, bonsai is interpreted as “planting in a container.” However, this does not apply to just any pot or plant. Dwarfing a tree and planting it in a small container requires specific pruning and maintenance techniques that differ from the pruning of other garden trees.Case Study: The Bonsai Tree in the Private LibraryThe ornamental bonsai displayed in the private library is one of the masterpieces of stone-carving art and was presented to Farah Diba by Farabi University. This bonsai is placed in an enamel pot beautifully decorated with motifs of a “Japanese white crane” and a “banana tree in a pond,” accompanied by lotus blossoms. The dominant color of the pot is dark blue with golden borders. On its four sides, images inspired by nature reflect the artist’s vision.Instead of soil, the base of the pot is filled with artificial glass-like pebbles that surround the trunk at the center. The tree, measuring approximately 54.5 centimeters in height (including the pot), is completed with branches full of blossoms.

The trunk is covered in a golden hue, and the mastery of the artisan’s hand is evident in the blossoms carved from spinach jade and agate on the branches. Together, these elements create a pleasing composition of form and color.This artwork is preserved in the main area (ground floor) among the central furnishings of the library.

Compiled by: Lotfollah Lotfi