Excellent penjing book

[rockm]

A few threads have explored some older bonsai books. I think this one is worth mentioning. "The Chinese Art of Bonsai and Potted Landscapes" by Yinchun Shen and Beulah Kwok Sung. It's probably the best penjing book I have. Published in 1991, I got my copy at Kinokiniya book store in Japan Town in San Francisco in the mid 90's sometime. I took a look through it recently and remembered it has pretty extensive photos of pots, unnusual plantings and spectacular penjing. It also has interesting explanations of Chinese styles, including accents and other stuff. You can still find it for about $30 (I got ripped off, since it was new when I got it. I paid $50 from what the price sticker still stuck on the inside jacket says.)

Only a few of the color plates from inside:

 

[ShadyStump]

I'll have to look into this one.
I've got a whole stack of books I'm supposed to be working on, but more active pursuits keep distracting me.

 

[JeffS73]

Love those pot pics, thank you for posting!

 

[rockm]

This is better than the penjing book with the green cover posted earlier. Entire section on stands, various Chinese pot kilns, and regional origins and traits of those pots. Classification of styles, from Yunian (Floating Cloud) to lignan, longyou and "contemporary realistic" styles. Twig breaking, tying and upside down growing techniques. Worth the $$. had forgotten how good it was until I picked it up again after it was in a cabinet for a decade or so.

 

[ShadyStump]

Yeah, DEFINITELY looking for this one.

 

[rockm]

Hell, the price is worth the banana bonsai alone

 

[ShadyStump]

BANANA bonsai?

Pics or it didn't happen.

 

[rockm]

It's above in the pic with the moon and figurine

 

[rockm]

Banana bonsai aren't really bonsai. Good examples require the grower to peel down the leaf layers on the trunk to expose the smaller leaves inside the bundle, or so I'm told. There are a few videos out on the 'net of really bad examples. That photo is the best example I've ever seen of one.