Esprit Bonsai International – August 2019

Notes

for beginners

#101 EspritBonsaiInternational - 27

 T

he cascade style – kengai

in Japanese – demands

greater shaping skills than

the other styles. It represents diffi-

cult natural conditions where a tree

is leaning out over the edge of a cliff

or gorge. The direction of the trunk

is a result of the weight of the foliage,

snow and events of nature.

In this style, an imaginary line

between the base of the trunk and

the tip of the lower foliage varies

between 30 and 90 degrees from

the horizontal. The line begins under

the horizon line and terminates

under the level of the pot’s base,

although the latter is not obligatory.

The visual impact is strongly direc-

ted downwards. The crown is not

necessarily positioned lower than

the base of the pot.

An upside-down

tree

This style is encountered more

frequently in Chinese bonsai than in

Japanese bonsai, where it is less sty-

lised: the latter have multiple foliage

pads, which can be freer in form and

less angular in movement.

A cascade bonsai can be envi-

saged as an inverted formal upright,

the initial part of which has been tur-

ned between 45 and 90 degrees

and bent back the other way. The

rear branch is positioned to the side

or slightly towards the front.

The trunk starts out vertical, far

enough to get past the rim of the

pot to create a cascade. If it tou-

ched the rim, the cascade would

look weak and unstable. The trunk’s

first bend must be at the narrowest

angle possible to express the drama

of the style.

Kengai:

cascade style

Author: Antonio Ricchiari

The cascade style represents a tree that has come from a challenging

setting, in the mountains, near a gorge. Pine, Mario Pavone collection.

The angle formed

between the horizontal

and the line that goes

from the apex to the

base of the pot varies

from 30 to 90 degrees.

Before the first bend, the trunk is

directed slightly backwards, to give

a wonderful sense of depth.

The Chinese style

In the Chinese cascade style, the

angles of the curves are clean and

sharp, which gives a dramatic effect.

Angles can be created on all parts of

the trunk, and the main branches

will be situated on the outer sides of

curves. It is essential to use existing

branches to form and create the

trunk’s angles.

The distances between the

angles are also varied, reducing in

length towards the lower foliage

pads. These foliage pads cannot all

be constructed on the same level,

as the tree would then lack depth

and movement.

The parts that come together

to constitute a dominant line are

important for the Chinese.