Sunday, September 27, 2009

National Bonsai and Penjing Museum

Penjing U.S. National Bonsai and Penjing Museum
 
Penjing Tree (also called shumu penjing in Chinese) are considered the same as bonsai, with emphasis on the layout of the baggage. Usual style as the straight stem, stem side and forest regulations. Because of this similarity, only one category Penjing Trees will be discussed here. It's an interesting part of the tradition Penjing Tree is a stylish Literati (mu wenren called in Chinese), and was originally created by the scholars of China as a method of self expression. Poets usually have long, thin, tapered trunk and rarely branched. This is in contrast to other tree Penjing who generally have more "dense" quality. Poets generally displays four principles that reflect the feelings and aspirations of educated scholars who began the tradition.• The first is Gugao (indifference), which is evident in the long trunk lines from writers and is considered to symbolize the spirit of elitist lonely bachelor. These rods are usually extraordinary thin for the height of trees.• The second is the principle Jianjie (lack of), and this is basically a lesson in "less is more" and the idea is to create a statement with the smallest number of branches. In this way some artists Penjing equate this principle with calligraphy, because of lack of trees reduces to the line, but the lines still have a deep significance despite the lack of depth and variety.• The third principle is Ya (elegant) in which the scholars tried to create a sense of elegance and tranquility in their tree.• The fourth principle is Pingdan (simplicity), where the quality of plain, smooth, and hard sometimes taken in order to create a simpler kind of beauty. Basically, the scholars tried to contrast their "no frills" natural beauty with art objects and ornaments decorated the higher they see as low as they are considered impediments to seek true understanding.• It is also important to remember that Literati is not supposed to be funny or disability, but only have to show a tree that has been struggling to overcome obstacles in its lifetime.• Other properties which some believe have influenced the creation of this form is a painful longing for the past, the perception is wrong, intense loneliness, and the bitter taste of rejection combined with an already elitist attitude of the community of Chinese scholars.Stone is the main medium Penjing scene trying to invoke a sense of great panoramas within the confines of limited water tray.