Bonsai presentation table
A bonsai presentation table (also: bonsai table ) is a piece of furniture used as an aesthetic style element for the targeted upgrading of a bonsai .
general description
Bonsai tables as a style element of the overall conception of tree, bowl and table have a mainly aesthetic function. The task of the bonsai table is to present the bonsai higher than the given surface, which on the one hand gives the bonsai additional grandeur, grace and formality as well as a stronger character, but on the other hand can also improve the view of the tree.
Traditional Asian bonsai presentation tables are mostly made of dark precious woods such as B. rosewood or walnut wood, which are almost exclusively painted with a dark, semi- gloss finish.
selection
The size and appearance of the bonsai display table should be chosen so that it complements both the tree and its bowl in a meaningful way without drawing much attention to itself. In addition to the table size, the design of the table legs - if available - must also be taken into account. These should be able to carry the weight of the bonsai convincingly and if possible not compete with the thickness of the trunk. Bonsai pots should not protrude beyond the edge of the table on any side and should not compete with the table in terms of their design. In general, the table should be about 1/3 larger than the bonsai pot. Usually, flat bonsai display tables with a rectangular tabletop are selected. Bonsai in the styles of cascade and semi-cascade are generally presented on high tables with a square or round tabletop. Shohin bonsai are often shown in small groups on specially made presentation shelves - a special form of presentation table.
In order to integrate the impression of a landscape around the bonsai into the presentation, irregular rock slabs or wooden discs are used, especially for bonsai in the literat or saikei design forms.
use
Bonsai display tables are particularly common in Japan, where they are mostly used in the traditional tokonoma , a niche dedicated to art. From this tradition, some basic rules for placing the bonsai on the table can be derived, which are observed worldwide, especially at exhibitions. The presentation of a bonsai with its bowl on a formal table has also become the standard worldwide at exhibitions. In the western world, however, there are also advocates that a table should be part of the bonsai presentation outside of exhibitions as a minimum standard in the home and garden.
A disadvantage for daily use outside of exhibitions is the inability of almost all commercially available tables to catch or drain off excess irrigation water, which is an obstacle to use, since stagnant water leaves visible traces on wooden surfaces, which in the long term damages the table and thus the presentation.
Placing the bonsai on the presentation table
Bonsai presentation tables are usually constructed symmetrically . In order to promote the aesthetics of the overall composition and to show its balance, the bowl is generally placed in the middle on the bonsai presentation table , creating a common axis of symmetry through the bowl and table. This contradicts the general principle of avoiding symmetries that applies to bonsai, but is rather justified by the fact that the table would attract too much attention if the bowl were placed asymmetrically . It is assumed that the correct balance has already been achieved through the correct asymmetrical placement of the tree in the bowl, so that the table should have no further role in finding the overall balance. The neutral position of the bonsai on the table can be seen as an efficient use of the available space, which maximizes the harmony of the overall composition. In the traditional tokonoma, the table is not placed in the middle. In the overall view of the asymmetrical placement of both the tree in the bowl and the table in the tokonoma, anything but the symmetrical placement of the bonsai on the table would be inharmonious.
In addition to the bonsai itself, accompanying plants are also shown on a bonsai presentation table, the size of which should be adapted to both the bonsai and the table. If a companion plant is used, the tree is generally placed to the side in order to be able to present the composition of bonsai and companion plant harmoniously on the table.
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ a b c d e Deborah R. Koreshoff: Bonsai - Its Art, Science, History and Philosophy . Portland, Timbren Press (1992), pp. 246-247
- ↑ a b c d Chye Tan: The Spirit of Bonsai Design - Combine the Power of Zen and Nature . London, Collins & Brown Ltd. (2003), pp. 140-142
- ↑ Peter Warren: Bonsai - cut, shape, care . Munich, Dorling Kindersley Verlag GmbH (2015), p.34