The Mark of Beauty : Bonsai

It was during the late nineteenth century, from the end of the Edo period to the Meiji period that the bonsai in its present form really took off. The impetus for this trend was the popularity of sencha (roasted green leaf tea) gatherings, during which the Chinese objects and decorations popular at the time would be displayed for the guests who were served steeped green tea. The potted plants used to decorate such rooms initiated today’s bonsai tradition.   As these potted plants grew increasingly refined for use in tea rooms, extraneous flowers and plants were omitted, leaving the tree as the central focus.

Kenkai (Suspended from a Cliff) is in a shape that represents a tree hanging over a steep cliff. 

To enjoy a bonsai is to get a taste of the past. Any tree that evokes a sense of age and dignity, regardless of its actual age, is said to have koshoku (aged patina). In particular, the white areas of dead wood are known as shari (literally, “relics”). This shari characteristic is one of the focuses of bonsai connoisseurship. 

The appeal of bonsai is further highlighted when displayed within a traditional alcove (tokonoma) of a room.