Three Element Display

Each first Sunday, a group of bonsai friends meets at my place to work on our trees, teach, and learn.
I usually set up a display for enjoyment and comments.This Sunday's display is grass, a sumi-e rendition of Daruma Buddha, and a stone.

I like all three pieces. I especially like the stone and suiban on stand.
Todd

Todd Ellis wrote:I like all three pieces. I especially like the stone and suiban on stand.
Todd

Thanks Todd. I appreciate your comments.

Mike

Gorgeous! If that scroll goes missing some night that means I tiptoed all the way from NC to get it! <g>

JimLewis wrote:Gorgeous! If that scroll goes missing some night that means I tiptoed all the way from NC to get it! <g>

Thanks Jim. I was lucky to find that scroll card cheap in a little shop in San Francisco's Japan Town. It was in a box with about 50 or more scroll cards off in a corner on the floor. Every other card in the box was nothing special. When I saw it, I thought WOW!! On the back it had a price tag of around 15 or 20 bucks. Original art for pocket change! Hard to believe. but true.

Hi Mike

Can you explain your thoughts behind this display?.
It looks to me, as the grass is the mainthing...it all looks a bit strange to me.

kind regards Yvonne

Hi Yvonne
Tokonoma display isn't about bonsai. It's about the artistic (hopefully) display of a main piece and a scroll, or adding an accent piece to make it a three element display. In this case, the grass in a bonsai pot is the main piece.
You might google "tokonoma display" for more info. It's an interesting study, and can add to bonsai display knowledge and technique.

Mike

Hello Mike,
Nice playing.
When i would have a quick go with this horizontal oriented tokonoma display;
the first thing i would try is to hang the scroll a bit higher
and place the suiban without feet on the floor (also because the feet are disturbing the stone i feel).
Going deeper, one problem for me would be the grass mass there on that spot having the same size as scroll and stone,
also the same hight of the table and suiban is a point.
A smaller table would be better in this display, but then the lenght of the suiban and the table would be to much the same.
I think a smaller pot with only a bit of grass on a jitta would work better, the suiban would then be the main
object reflecting with the Daruma scroll, but then because the Daruma is facing to the left, the stone schould be on the left.
As i said nice playing.
Regards, Sunip

mike page wrote:Hi Yvonne
Tokonoma display isn't about bonsai. It's about the artistic (hopefully) display of a main piece and a scroll, or adding an accent piece to make it a three element display. In this case, the grass in a bonsai pot is the main piece.
You might google "tokonoma display" for more info. It's an interesting study, and can add to bonsai display knowledge and technique.

Mike

Hi Mike

I know it does not have to be bonsai, to be displayed in a tokoname.
I will refrain from commenting more on your display...Sunip has said something. Much more could be said.

Kind regards Yvonne