GLOSSARY 

Understand the words and terms used in the practices of Bonsai, Suiseki and Bonsai ceramics and display.

We have included common terms used in bonsai and related arts, both English terms and Japanese terms are included, as many Japanese terms are commonly used in the West.. 

** Please bear with us .. this section is a new 'work in progress' as of 22.7.21.
We hope it will serve as another resource to help bonsai enthusiasts. **
Please feel free to suggest new words that we should add here! 

Main Terms

  • Bonsai   盆栽                Meaning of the constituent kanji:      盆  pronounced 'bon' means 'tray'      栽 pronounced 'sai'  means 'planting'.                                         
                                                  The word  盆栽  'Bonsai' however is the Japanese art of creating a miniature tree in a pot. 
                                                  Generally the art aims to re-create the feel of an aged or beautiful tree in nature, albeit in miniature. 
                                                  As an art form however, there are various accepted forms, including for example abstract concepts.
  • Glaze                             A vitreous substance fused to the surface of pottery to form an impervious decorative coating.
  • ​
  • Kusamono                    Meaning 'grass thing', an arrangement (often naturally developing) of grasses and flowers
  • ​Shitakusa   
  • Suiban   水盤                        Ceramic dish for suiseki display.
  • ​Suiseki   水石                        A viewing stone, or the appreciation of such stones. 
  • Tenpai

Bonsai Tree Terms

  • Inverse Taper               The undesirable greater thickening of a trunk (/branch) towards the extremities.
                                                 Trunks should become thinner in girth as they rise. (and branches thinner towards the ends. 

  • Neagari                         Exposed roots (style). 
  • ​Nebari                           A tree's visible surface root spread.
  • Taper                             A desirable feature, whereby trunks are wider at the base and become progressively thinner up the tree, and along the branches.

Bonsai Pot Terms

  • Hachi   鉢                                      Bowl (or pot)
  • Wabachi   和鉢                         Literally ‘Japanese style pot’. This means Unknown maker (and is NOT a maker’s name)

​Bonsai Pot Shapes

 In order of 'Masculinity'
  • Square                                   Masugata bachi  A pot with four sides of equal lengths.
  • Rectangle                                                             A pot with four sides, of which 2 sides are longer than the other 2 sides. 
  • Soft Rectangle                                                     A rectangle with curved or 'soft' corners. 
                                                                                          A very soft rectangle and a very hard oval are the same shape. 
  • Quince                                    Mokko-gata         A shaped like the flower of a Quince - Square with indented, rounded corners.         
  • Oval                                                                       A rounded and slightly elongated outline
  • Lotus                                                                      As a Lotus flower seen from above, a round shape with multiple (15) petal tips extruding.    
  • Antique Mirror Shape
  • Hexagonal                                                                A pot with 6 equal length sides.
  • Octagonal                                                              A pot with 8 equal length sides.
  • Flower                                    Rinka                       A round flower shaped pot with repeating lobed edges.
  • Round                                    Maru bachi            Shaped like a round cooking pot for rice

Bonsai Pot Styles

  • Bag Style Oval                     Fukuro-shiki               An oval with a lip that ingresses, then egresses, as if tightened by a drawstring. 
  • Cascade
  • Drum
  • Nanban                                                                        A primitive style of container originating from South China. (means 'southern barbarian', or 'what number'!
  • Semi Cascade                            
  • Shokodouin

Bonsai Pot Details

​Bonsai Pot Decoration

Suiseki Terms

  • Daiza   台座                                  A wooden stand made to support and hold a suiseki viewing stone. Often hand carved to fit perfectly the shape of the stone.
  • Tanseki   探石                               Viewing stone collecting
  • Tanseki-kai   探石会                    Stone hunting party / Stone collecting trip
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