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Shohin display
and bonsai displaying
Displaying
Bonsai and Shohin-bonsai can easily
be put on display in your house. It is a nice way to welcome
guests, or simply to enjoy bonsai yourself.
It is a Japanese custom for bonsai owners to set up a
fine display to welcome and show respect for a guest, but it is not necessary to
build a Tokonoma or alcove for this purpose. Simpler solutions appropriate to
your house are fine. I have a simple low table in the sitting room of my house
for displaying bonsai and other items.
Some solutions for displaying bonsai in your house are
suggested here. Whatever solution you choose, please do it so it will be to your
taste.
Bonsai on display at the entrance of the house of Naemi and Daizo
Iwasaki .
Open space – negative areas
Free space, or open space, as I prefer to call it, is
important in bonsai display. The term often used, “negative area,” seems far
more misleading than guiding. The open space in a bonsai display, or in the
design of a bonsai, holds the same importance as the open space in a Japanese
calligraphy scroll, or a classic watercolour painting. This open space
underlines the style of the bonsai, display, or calligraphy. It brings the image
to life. Without open space, the power of the silhouette and the fine lines are
lost.
Open space is a third dimension, which lets the viewer
create the landscape surrounding the tree in the pot. It is the fields, the
mountains, or the lake behind and beside the tree. It is what extends the
display, by allowing the mind to flow beyond the space of the display itself. A
Tokonoma is a niche built into a room, often in the entryway, where objects are
displayed. A Tokonoma is very Japanese, but keen Western bonsai enthusiasts
might like to add this Japanese touch to their homes.
The traditional Japanese Tokonoma has a surface area
described as one tatami. A tatami is a kind of mat used for covering the floor
of a Tokonoma, as well as for other purposes. The tatami is a standard Japanese
measure of 90×180 cm/35.5×80 inches.
The height from the ground to the surface on which the
bonsai is placed can vary from 10 cm/4 inches up to 70cm/28 inches. These
measurements vary by regions in Japan.
A Tokonoma can be of closed or open construction. There
are no rules for it’s exact placement, but it should be placed where it is
easily seen and fits in with the rest of the room.
Often the Tokonoma has a window in one side. Light is
placed at the top, casting a soft but clear light so the objects in the Tokonoma
can be seen clearly. It is usually constructed of wood, with a background
painted in a light colour, which shows the bonsai, Suiseki, or other artistic
elements to their best advantage.
I had a vision of building a Tokonoma in my living room,
to display bonsai when guests visited the house. The problem I faced was that I
am living in a Western style house, not a Japanese one. I like the aesthetic
values of Japanese art and culture, so I use the elements I like and adapt them
to my surroundings. I hope that I can blend my fascination with Japanese
aesthetics with the traditional Western and Nordic styles that are closer to my
life.
Yoma-Kazari – the Western style
In my case, a Tokonoma turned out to be unsuitable for my
living room. It clashed with the Nordic style of indoor design. So I chose a
Yoma-Kazari as the perfect way of displaying objects, like bonsai, in the house.
A Yoma-Kazari can be a table or shelf placed up against a wall, and has a more
Western look. Like a Tokonoma, it is essential to have a light background in
order to display items properly.
The table used can be a variety of styles, but an
oriental touch adds the right feeling for those who want that look. The display
can hold many things besides bonsai. When a bonsai is taken away, replace it
with something else, to keep it from being just an empty space.
Bringing bonsai into the house
Remember that bonsai brought in the house should only
stay for a few hours. They need to be taken back outside after a short period
inside, especially in wintertime, so they are not damaged by the dry air and hot
temperatures of a sitting room. In the summertime it is also advisable to put
the tree back on its stand or bench when not needed indoors anymore. Don’t let
the tree stay indoors for more than a day.
Exhibitions
Exhibitions demand that bonsai be inside for 2-4 days at
a time. Be sure to spray the leaves or needles daily with pure water, and keep
the soil and roots from drying out. Trees will require a good amount of water
because transpiration through the leaves is continuous while they are inside.
The water will cool down the leaves, and keep the cells filled with water.
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