Bonsai Display Critique 2

Kuzuhara Sensei's critique of a display at the Toko Kazari competition held at the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture...The picture on the left is the original display, and the photo on the right is Kuzuhara Sensei's photoshop suggestions to improve the display.

First off, the flow of the main tree and the placement of the display are opposite. In the case of using this main tree, it should be seated on the right hand side of the display, to make it a right to have it become a left flowing display. (Sashoute or Migishoute, I am not sure on the correct reading if it is considered one word or mixes on and kun yomi), because the bonsai's left hand side will create space. A tree that flows to the left should have the pot placed a little more to the right.
But because it was set up to be a display on the left flowing to the right please understand what I will say from this point on. This tree is not yet a finished bonsai, and I have done a virt to show how if it were to be a finished bonsai that was a Hidari Shoute (Flowing to the right) display how I would try to style it.
In the revised picture the pot, and foliage, as well as the table and accent placement provides more balance for the display. Additionally, the picture of the waterfall in the scroll follows the same pattern as the tree and is redundant to the display, and I slightly amended the picture in the scroll to try and minimize this effect.

幽蘭一国香 Yuuran Ikkoku no Kou

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幽蘭一国香　（ゆうらん　いっこくのこう）


Yuuran Ikkoku no Kou

The meaning of this phrase is the scent of the pollen that emanates from the famed orchid is known throughout the country. (I am still trying to locate the name of this orchid in English...)

I looked everywhere for an orchid cloth. I did have have one, but knew that the urauchi step would not work due to this cloth being a synthetic. So I turned to my reliable rose. This is actually a leftover piece from a previous scroll done for a dojo up in Washington. And although the pattern on the kireji is not an orchid, this cloth still evokes the same visual and olfactory stimulation from the meaning of the poem. This was a writing done by Yoshimi a couple of years ago. She was advanced in rank due to this submitted writing. It is done in the sousho style.


Name in Kanji Name in English Size in Bun Size in Centimeters (Estimate) Size in Inches (Estimate)
天 Ten 91 275.73 10.86
上一文字 Ue Ichimonji 19 57.57 2.27
紙本の幅さ Artwork Width 79 239.37 9.42
紙本の長さ Artwork Length 107 324.21 12.76
柱 Pillars 17 51.51 2.03
下一文字 Shita Ichimonji 9 27.27 1.07
地 Chi 62 187.86 7.40
掛け軸の幅さ Scroll Width 113 342.39 13.48
掛け軸の長さ Scroll Length 288 872.64 34.36



This display could be used for a springtime or early summer themed display when the orchids are in bloom. The shoku for the tree is too small, but it is the only one that I own. Also, the bonsai is not real. I have a black thumb and kill every living bonsai…so I just have to go with what works for me.

登龍門Touryuumon

This is the phrase I chose as the theme for my　床の間 Toko no Ma display, which will be exhibited at the Clark Center for Japanese Art and Culture. This museum is located in Hanford, California.

This is going to be a beautiful display. There is a story behind the phrase Touryuumon, and will explain it at a later date. Just be aware that the scroll is done in a Sandan hyougu (Three Step) style. It is hard to see in this picture but the Chuumawashi cloth looks like red with tinted dragon scales. The white in the chi represents the mists on the water and the white in the ten represents the sky to which the dragon will ascend....

More coming after the competition.