GLOSSARY 

Words and terms used in the practices of Bonsai, Suiseki, Bonsai ceramics & display.

WELCOME to the EBPC GLOSSARY. This glossary attempts to define & explain the various terms used in bonsai and related arts.
As bonsai is a Japanese practice, many bonsai related terms used in the West are Japanese. Therefore both English & Japanese (and others where possible) are included.  

** Please bear with me .. this section is a new 'work in progress'.
I hope it will be another useful resource to help bonsai enthusiasts. **
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Please feel free to suggest new words that we should add here!
We look forward to hearing from you and appreciate your assistance.

Main Terms

• Bonsai     盆栽               
  • Meaning of the constituent kanji:      盆  (pronounced 'bon') means 'tray'      栽 (pronounced 'sai')  means 'planting'.                                      
  • Meanings of 'bonsai' as a noun.
    • 'A bonsai' 盆栽 is a tree or shrub in a pot, that has had techniques applied,  to develop a small version of a full grown tree in nature. 
    • 'Bonsai' is an art form or practice which uses certain techniques to develop a small version of a full grown tree in nature. The Japanese art of bonsai generally 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.
  • Meaning of 'bonsai' as a verb.
    • 'To bonsai' a plant is to apply certain techniques, in order to develop a small version of a full grown tree in nature.
    • 'To do bonsai' is to practice the hobby/art of cultivating small trees in pots, using the appropriate care and techniques. 

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• Ceramics 焼き物 (yakimono)   
  • Kanji meaning: 'Fired Thing' 
  • Yakimono is the main Japanese term for 'ceramics'. Ceramics are objects made from clay, and fired to a hot temperature until hard and durable. In general terms, ceramics covers anything made from fired clay, including statues, ornaments, toilets, tiles, and pottery.  

                      

• Glaze.    釉  (yu)                  
  • A vitreous substance fused to the surface of pottery to form an impervious decorative coating.

 

• Kusamono     草物              
  • Kanji meaning: 'Grass (or Wild) Thing'. An arrangement (often naturally developing) of grasses, plants and/or flowers. Kusamono are the main focus of their display, and are often displayed with a scroll, tenpin, or suiseki.

 

• Netsuke     根付
  • Kanji meaning: Root (of a plant) Append.
  • .A small sculpture carved from either Ivory, antler, or wood, initially designed to act as a toggle for a kimono ('wear thing' - clothes!) 

 

• Pottery     陶芸  (tou gei)    
  • Kanji meaning: Pottery Art.
  • Pottery is the process and products of creating pots (vessels) and other items from clay, and firing them until hard and durable. 

 

• ​Shitakusa    下草               
  • Kanji meaning: 'Under Grass'.
  • An accent / companion planting included  to support the display of a bonsai tree. Companion plants should be subversive to the tree, and should reflect the seasons and elements of a tree. 

 

• Suiban    水盤                   
  • Kanji meaning: 'Water Tray'.
  • A ceramic dish used to display suiseki appreciation/viewing stones. Often hand made and usually glazed.

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• ​Suiseki    水石                    
  • Kanji meaning: 'Water Stone'. 
  • A viewing stone, or the appreciation of such stones. (Gongshi in Chinese). Suiseki, in the Japanese tradition are natural and uncut by man, and evoke a natural element, such as a mountain, animal, lake. ​

 

• Tenpai      添配
  • ​Kanji meaning: 'Accompany Distribute'                           
  • Small, often handmade sculptures used as accents to a bonsai display, which are usually made of Bronze. They often depict animals or buildings and can be used to confirm the season of display.

Bonsai Tree Terms

• Inverse Taper               The undesirable thickening of a trunk /branch towards the extremities. Trunks should only become thinner as they rise.                                                
• Jin                                  Refers to the deadwood sections of branches. ​
• Neagari                         Exposed roots (style). 
• ​Nebari                           The visible surface root spread of a tree.
• Shari / Sharimiki           Refers to the deadwood sections of the trunk. 
• Taper                             A desirable feature, whereby trunks are wider at the base and progressively thinner up the tree, and along the branches.

Bonsai Tree Styles

Broom Style                             Hokidachi
Cascade                                   Kengai
Double Trunk                          Sokan
Forest / Group                        Yose ue
Formal Upright                       Chokkan
Informal Upright                     Moyogi
Literati Style                             Bunjin
Multi-trunk Style                     Kabudachi
Raft Style                                  Ikadabuki 
Rock planted Style                 Ishisuki 
Root-over-Rock Style             Seki joju
Semi Cascade                         Han Kengai
Slanting Style                          Shakan 
Windswept                              Fukinagashi

Bonsai Pot Terms

• Hachi   鉢                                   Pot (or bowl).
• Wabachi   和鉢                         Literally ‘Japanese-style pot’. This denotes an 'Unknown maker' (and is NOT a maker’s name).

​Bonsai Pot Shapes

 In order of 'Masculinity'

• Square                四角           shikaku.                 A pot with four sides of equal lengths.
• Rectangle           長方形       chouhou-kei         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               木瓜形        Mokko-gata         A shaped like the flower of a Quince - Square with indented, rounded corners.         
• Oval                     楕円形       Daen-kei               A rounded and slightly elongated elliptical shape.
• Lotus                                                                      As a Lotus flower seen from above, a round shape with multiple (15) petal tips extruding.
• Bag Style Oval                      Fukuroshiki           An oval with folded back lip, reminiscent of a drawstring on a purse. A feminine feature.
• 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                                 Nanban. 南蛮            A primitive style of pot / container originating from SE Asia. Generally used for literati / bunjin style trees. Some older Chinese nanban may originally have been lids to rice cooking vessels. Named after the lids of cooking pots that were used in SE Asia, the owners of whom, the Chinese saw as 'Southern barbarians'. The kanji: 南蛮  (Hiragana なんばん) mean 'south barbarian'. ('nan' south & ban 'barbarian') 
• Semi Cascade                            
• Shokodouin                         Shokodouin                Named after an old Chinese kiln of its origin, Shokodouin now refers to a formal design of bonsai pot, which has incised corners, a lip to the rim, and cloud style feet. 

Bonsai Pot Details

​Bonsai Pot Decoration

• Engobe                                                   Liquid clay slurries / slips applied to bone dry / bisque fired pots for a higher quality finish, or used as decor. 
• Neriage                                                   Agate-ware in England. A technique involving a mix of clay colours, thrown on a potter's wheel. 'Neri means 'to

                                                                            mix' 'Age' means 'pull up'.

• Nerikomi                                                 Technique involving a mix of clay colours, hand / slab built. 'Neri means 'to mix'.'Komi' means to 'press into'.

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.

Suiseki Classification.         Stones can be classified in a number of ways - by shape, pattern, colour, place of origin, or by what they represent. Which are used to classify a stone is entirely up to the collector, and may depend upon the stones main characteristics, or by the collector's preference.  

   Stone Types  - By Visual form:   (just a few main examples.)

• Dan seki                     Platform Stones - resembles a terraced hillside, generally with 3 flay steps rising towards a mountain.
  
• Doha Ishi                    Distant Plateau, or slope Stones - resemble a plain, or a slope gently rising toward a hill.
• Taki Ishi                       Waterfall stones - resemble a waterfall.
• Tamari Ishi                  Basin Stones - can hold water.
• Yadori Ishi                  Shelter stones - resemble coves or shelter within a cliff side. 
• Yamagata Ishi            Mountain Stones - There are a few types of mountain stones e.g., Toyama Ishi - Distant viewed mountain stone. 

   Stone Types  - By Colour:

•  Maguro ishi                True Black ( the 'more black' a stone, the more desirable)
  
• Kuro ishi                       Black
• Aka Ishi                         Red 
• Ogon seki                    Golden yellow

Display terms

• Kake  掛                                         Meaning 'hang', or 'suspend'. These are backdrops for 'Shikishi' and 'Tanzaku'
• Kakejiku 掛軸                                Meaning 'hanging shaft/axis'. 
• Kakemono 掛物                            Meaning 'hanging thing', these are hanging scrolls. A broader meaning than Kakejiku. 
• Shikishi                                           Shikishi can be landscape or portrait, and generally larger than Tanzuku, can be different sizes. 
• Tanzaku  短冊                                A vertical rectangular piece of card or wood, decorated with words, poems, or artwork. Tanzaku are generally 6cm x  30cm.  
• Tanzaku gake  短冊掛                  The 'kake' backdrop' for a Tanzuku. Shikishi can also be hung on a Tanzaku gake.     
• Tokonoma 床の間                         A custom built display space in a Japanese style room for artistic appreciation.

• Sho sugi ban  焼杉板                     An ancient Japanese technique for waterproofing & preserving wood. It involves charring cedar wood surface until black.