Piece 1: John Yoshio Naka

Ginpo (Silver Phoenix), John Yoshio Naka. Blue Atlas Cedar National Bonsai and Penjing Museum. Photo by NBF.

    This blue atlas cedar (Cedrus atlantica var. glauca) is one of Naka's pieces at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in D.C. He has many more there, but this is one that I wanted to focus on because it's less well known than his foemina juniper planting, Goshin. This tree has been in training since 1948. It was donated to the museum in 1990.

    This bonsai is styled in an informal upright style, marked by its gently curving trunk. Its relatively simple pot, neutral brown in color and lacking decoration, gives a quiet sense to the composition. The name Ginpo means Silver Phoenix. Naka said it was named because he believed that this bonsai could be renewed over and over, like a phoenix rises from the ashes again and again (McClellan).

    Note that there are few branches that hang beneath the foliage pads. This is in order to keep the lines of the foliage pads clean and sharp. The branches leading to the apex of the tree tilt slightly downward, mimicking natural trees that are shaped by the weight of snow. Generally, the longer the branch, the more the weight of snow affects the angle of the branch. The strongest feature of this tree is its broad base, or nebari, leading to a dense apex of thin branches. This helps build the illusion of age that bonsai is famous for.

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