Synopsis

Penjing: Worlds of Wonderment is a lavishly illustrated book, endorsed by six internationally recognized experts. It has become a classic and will delight anyone interested in Oriental gardening, culture, and art.

Penjing is the Chinese art of creating a miniature landscape in a container. Using trees, rocks, or a combination of the two, the Chinese artist seeks to express the beauty of a conceptual idea, to grant outward form to an inner vision. Penjing magically and succinctly captures the atmosphere and magnificence inherent in a natural landscape. The artist strives to express the mood and spirit observed in Nature and the emotions or morality instilled in him.

Although China is the cradle of this art and the forerunner of the more widely known art of bonsai associated with Japan, little information had been available on this time-honored Chinese art, and this is the first major work to shed light on this subject. Penjing places the art into the wider context of Chinese culture. While it was written for the bonsai and penjing enthusiast who, having mastered the basic skills of shaping and caring for miniature trees, wishes to hone his or her artistic sensitivities, the book's appeal is by no means limited to people wanting to create their own penjing. Instead, it addresses anyone interested in the Chinese experience. Any lover of Oriental gardening and any aficionado of Chinese culture and art will treasure Penjing.