Key Points for Shaping the Literati Bonsai Style and a Detailed Guide to Styling Methods

The so-called literati bonsai style refers to a tree style that is taller and more slender than the curved-trunk style, with the lower branches removed and an exceptionally sparse number of branches.

The literati bonsai style, long favored by men of letters and scholars, gives people a feeling of upright integrity and outstanding aloofness. This tree is relatively tall, its branches extremely short, with no branches on the lower part; the styling is simple, and its changes are gentle.

(1) Selecting the Plant Material. The literati bonsai is not a basic tree style, but is derived from the slanting-trunk and curved-trunk styles. The distinguishing feature of the plant material lies in selecting a trunk with a literati character, and there is no need to insist on any particular number of branches.

This tree style focuses on the overall flavor, so even a tree with branches on only one side can still be shaped into a flawless tree style, as long as the techniques are applied appropriately.

(2) Key Points for Shaping. A slender trunk is better able to give off an airy, floating style. The degree of curvature of the trunk should be made as lively as possible.

Distribution of the main tree: The base of the literati bonsai does not need to be too thick, nor does it need to present a sense of heaviness. Whether main branches, crossing branches, leaning branches, or drooping branches, all are arranged to a minimal extent, and only in this way can a uniquely distinctive tree style be achieved. Successfully shaping a literati bonsai is truly no easy task, and at the same time, how to achieve balance amid disharmony also requires considerable effort. In addition, with the branches and leaves reduced to the utmost, assimilation is instead sharply diminished, making it even more laborious to maintain the tree's vigor.