Penjing: From its Roots to the Present Day

Part of the Chinese and Japanese Garden Lecture Series at The Huntington Library.

Dr. Thomas Elias
Former Director, U.S. National Arboretum
Honorary Director, National Bonsai Foundation

Join Thomas Elias for a survey of the history of penjing, the art of miniature trees and rockery, known as bonsai in Japan. In this lecture, Elias will explore the earliest evidence of penjing in China, the development of the art form during the Tang (618-907) and Song (960-1279) dynasties, as well as the blossoming of various schools during the Ming (1368-1644) and Qing (1644-1911) periods. His investigation will extend into the modern period with Chinese participation at the major world’s fairs in the 18th and 19th centuries, and the growing relationship between penjing and bonsai styling in the 20th century.