Landscape Bonsai: Coordinating Ornaments to Highlight the Accent Effect

Although the moss covering, green accents, planting of vegetation and placement of ornaments in landscape bonsai cannot be rigidly configured and accented according to the traditional proportions of "zhang for mountains, chi for trees, cun for horses, fen for people," they should not be excessively exaggerated either, because only the lowliness of the trees and the smallness of the pavilions can set off the majesty and height of the mountain forms, and can reveal the sense of reality and natural beauty of landscape bonsai. Below we explain how to reasonably place ornaments in landscape bonsai to achieve just the right accent effect.

When placing ornaments, in addition to paying attention to their position, one should also grasp the size proportions and consider whether they conform to real life. For example, in bonsai depicting famous mountains and great rivers, the ornaments are generally mostly garden structures such as pavilions, corridors, waterside pavilions and pagodas, so that they harmonize with the scenery.

The position of the ornaments must also conform to the rules of layout. Generally speaking, a pagoda goes on the secondary peak, pavilions and towers are placed on the mountainside, a wayside pavilion is set at the water's edge, a small bridge spans across a stream or gully, a raft is placed at a rapid shoal, boats are set on broad water surfaces, cattle and sheep are placed on grassland, houses are set in dense woods, and so on. As for the placement of human figures, it should be based on the needs of the compositional mood; above all, avoid stiffness and be sure it is just right.

In a single landscape bonsai, the accent ornaments should not be too many, otherwise it will appear bloated. Generally, for small and medium-sized landscape bonsai, 2 to 3 pieces are enough, arranged in a well-spaced manner, with some hidden and some exposed, some concealed and some revealed. The colors of the ornaments should not be too bright either; they should harmonize with the rocks and trees, so that the ornaments can show their vivid colors while still being unified within the overall color scheme.

At present, bonsai ornaments come in many kinds, including pottery, porcelain, stone and plastic. When choosing ornaments, one should repeatedly weigh and consider them, make more comparisons, and choose carefully, so that the ornaments can truly play the role of adding the finishing touch.