Literati Bonsai

1
Literati Bonsai

• By
• Louise Leister
• Tom Zane

2
History

• Many years ago followers of the Southern School
  of Chinese Landscape Painting became wanderers
  and hermits, studying and painting in remote
  mountain areas. They were called the Literati,
  men of letters.

3
Japanese Woodblock Prints

• Many of the trees drawn by Hokusai and
  Hiroshige, over 200 years ago, reflect the
  techniques of the Chinese Literati painter. The
  Japanese word for this style is bunjin or
  bunjingi.

4
Literatis One Rule

• The one rule that is true of all Literati style
  bonsai is that the trunk is bared for 60 to 80
  percent.

5
First of Five Features

• While there is one rule, there are five features.
• The first is that the trunks are elongated and
  have no significant taper.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

6
Second of Five Features

• The second feature of Literati bonsai is a
  dramatic change of trunk direction.
• This occurs sometimes in the middle of the trunk,
  sometimes at the apex.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

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Third of Five Features

• The third feature is a branch may cross the
  trunk.
• This is not encouraged in other styles, but it
  can be visually very effective in Literati.
• (From Mustard Seed Garden Manual of Painting)

8
Fourth of Five Features

• The fourth feature is a branch may grow downward
  at an acute angle, sometimes straight downward.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

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The Fifth Feature

• The fifth feature of literati is the unusually
  small and shallow containers, as seen in previous
  examples.
• The diameter of the container may be about 25 of
  the height.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

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In Summary

• The concept of Literati applied to tree styles
  originated in China and was developed in Japan.
• One rule governs all Literati style bonsai The
  trunk is bare for a major portion of its length.

11
Defining Features

• The first of five defining features is that the
  trunks are elongated.

Next, there may be a dramatic change in direction
of trunk direction. (Sketch by John Naka)
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Defining Features

• The third feature is that a branch may cross the
  trunk, and the trunk may cross itself or another
  tree in the same planting.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

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Defining Features

• Fourth A Literati may have one or more steeply
  downswept branches.
• Finally, containers are small, round, shallow and
  soft colors.
• (Sketch by John Naka)

14
Credits Original slide program in 1990 by Sig
Dreilinger. Revised and edited PowerPoint Program
by Louise Leister and Tom Zane in 2001. Edited
for the Internet by Tom Zane (Sketch by Norman
Haddrick)