The meeting point for bonsai enthusiasts
A guide to Pot Selection by John Pitt
These guidelines are for information only, consider them to be a starting point. They are not rules and are based on what I’ve learnt over many years of creating Bonsai pots for my own and my customer's trees.
I will try to help you understand some of the principles about shape and colour, relating to bonsai pots, and hope it will help you to choose pots that will enhance your trees, and also be as individual as you and your tree.
The first step is to consider the SIZE AND SHAPE.
For the definitive pot, its acceptable depth roughly equals the trunk diameter at the base. Its length should approximately equal 2/3 of the tree height or width.
There are growing styles, which are totally outside these rules. They are, for example, literati, cascades, semi-cascades, landscapes and groups.
Literati may be in round pots with a diameter of only 1/3 of the height of the tree, and sometimes very shallow, the soil being mounded up quite high. This is to emphasize the height and elegance of the trunk line.
For cascades and semi-cascades, the very deep pot represents a dramatic rocky landscape, also achieved by rock bowls or crescent shaped pots.
Creating landscapes and groups is the exact opposite to the cascades. The landscape impression can be brought about by a very low pot or slab, this allows the viewer to "come inside" the space. In this case, a relatively longer and wider pot, or slab should be selected to create a wood or landscape perspective.
When considering the shape of the pot, first decide what character and form the tree has. Trees can be generally be defined as masculine or feminine, the tree gives the impression of power, majesty and strength with a thick trunk and heavy branches, or a slim, delicate tree with fine branches, round crown and smooth trunk.
Masculine
Feminine
Some trees can be both, you may have a very heavy trunk and branches, but the tree has beautiful flowing lines and is a very elegant shape and so the pot would need to combine masculine and feminine features.
The basic guide is a definition of the so-called OPTICAL WEIGHT of the tree. Generally, but not always, deciduous trees have less optical weight than permanently green conifer trees.
If we wanted to keep it very simple, deciduous trees can be kept in oval pots, conifer trees in angular pots and literati in small round pots. But as each tree has a different character and the same can be said for pots, its not quite as simple as that.
The pot should have the same properties as the tree as far as optical weight is concerned, usually if the visual mass of the pot is somewhere around 1/3 of the visual mass of the tree, it’s about right.
There may be an angle or curve in the trunk line of the tree that we would like to pick up in the profile of the pot. For example the curves on this pot reflect the curve of the deadwood and also the shape of the foliage.
On this pot I used the glaze to continue the trunk into the pot and reflect it’s character.
There are many variables, and personal choice also has to come into the equation. We may decide to put a formal upright tree into an oval pot for example, personally this may suggest a different landscape than it would if the tree were presented in a formal rectangle. In this way the pot can also have a psychological effect on the whole composition.
The basic shape of a pot can be lightened in many ways, thereby reducing its OPTICAL WEIGHT.
Figure 1 shows how the pot's optical weight decreases when looking from above. This is achieved by rounding and softening of the contour line. At the top, there is a default strict rectangle, reduced in optical weight when going down the image. The resulting and sensually the lightest shape is the oval. The same can apply for square to circle, the circle being the visually lighter shape.
It also becomes apparent, that for any size pot, the square pot offers the most soil area and the oval the least.
The side profile plays an important role as well. When looking at the pots from the front, we can perceive different weight levels. Lightweight shapes can be achieved using several methods:
REDUCTION OF THE BASE SIZE
The smaller the pot base size, in relation to the rim, the lighter it appears. Figure 3 shows successive reduction in weight of two shape types, always from the top down, the pot looks progressively lighter.
The lowest pots are almost dishes. They would suit trees with less optical weight.
Figure 4
The same applies to incurved pots.
The shape changes from top to bottom and becomes lighter and more elegant.
OPTICAL LOWERING
The pot height can be optically lowered using horizontal division. Figure 5. The repeating parallel lines, whether formal, textured or coloured, extend the shape in the direction of the lines. For vertical lines - e.g. on cascades - slimming occurs. This is caused by using various grooves or chutes.
RIM EFFECT
Successive emphasizing of the pot rim increases visual weight. Figure 6 shows a basic shape.
One can see how it’s optical weight grows as the rim becomes more pronounced.
This applies to all shapes of pot
EFFECT OF LEGS ON POT WEIGHT
The position of the legs is important in this case, see figure 7. The heaviest option is at the top - the legs are aligned with the pot outline. The pot appears lighter if the feet are moved under the basic shape.
Figure 8. The length and height of the legs is important as well. The longer and lower, the better feeling of weight and stability, the pot looks heavier in the lower picture.
Pots may also be active or passive in feeling, figure 9. Generally the more conspicuous the legs and rim are, or colours and texture are more vibrant and pronounced, the more active the pot will seem. Passive pots are more self contained having the rim and feet included in the basic design, with quieter and smoother more subdued glazes.
COLOUR OF THE POT
As already mentioned above, the tree and the pot form a complex harmony, which can be further enhanced by selection of a colour in harmony with the tree colour, giving a complete picture and enhancing its character.
The colour has a decorative and psychological function. The artist looks for the same character features of the tree and the first guide is the OPTICAL WEIGHT of the tree.
Should the composition be sturdy, of massive impression, expressing power and majesty, if the trunk is strong and thick with heavy branches, the pot colour will be darker, more serious and heavier than for slim to elegant trees, with fine branches and smooth trunk. Generally, deciduous trees have less optical weight than conifer trees and can accept lighter coloured pots.
For colours, we need to define BRIGHTNESS AND SATURATION.
Saturation is the power and intensity of the colour.
Brightness is the location of the colour on a scale from white to black.
In bonsai, we should use saturated colours very carefully. The pot colour should not distract the eye from the tree or dissipate the overall atmosphere.
The same should apply to the brightness, the more noticeable a tree is for colour, the more intensively coloured a pot may be.
Colour harmony can be achieved in two ways: colour resemblance or colour contrast.
SELECTION OF POTS ACCORDING TO COLOUR RESEMBLANCE
This is the most common method of the creative approach. A bonsai artist searches for a pot colour similar to the crown or tree trunk colours. They mostly come from the colour of the trunk, although other features of the tree may influence small colour features in the pot
We can’t automatically say that trees only have brown trunks. Careful observervation will find many greys, reds, ochre and other hues. The trunk colour diffuses from the branches to the crown, which results in perfect interconnection of similar pot hues with the trunk and the bonsai crown too.
We should consider whether we should come from the colouring of the leaves or needles. For trees with rich green leaves, it can look drab when placed in a pot of the same colour. The leaf surface is mainly green hued and there would be too much green.
When selecting this colour pot, look for grey-green, grey-blue, yellow-green or silver shades that are less dominant in the foliage.
SELECTION OF POTS ACCORDING TO COLOUR CONTRAST
This can be a more difficult task. The goal is not to find a similar hue to the existing one but to create harmony between two totally different colours.
In bonsai practice, we are looking for a pot colour that will enhance the trees colouring.
This colour circle shows the primary colours - yellow, blue and red, secondary colours are listed to smoothly blend from one to the next.
Based on colour contrast, harmony is achieved by selecting colour pairs lying on opposite sides of the circle, complementary colours,
In bonsai art, we won’t use colours in their pure form as can be seen in this circle. We will reduce their intensity to the colour saturation of the tree.
When looking for suitable combinations of complementary colours, you don‘t have to follow the chart rigidly, common sense must be followed, and if a contrast is to distracting, try the colour next to it. The individual approach of each artist is very important. Colour perception needs to be developed. Creative individuals search for inspiration in nature, at exhibitions or in literature.
Not listed in the colour circle is black or white, many shades from off-white through grey to charcoal are very popular and harmonise with many different species.
Here I’ve put the same tree in 2 totally different colour pots to show the difference between harmony and contrast, it creates a different feeling in each case.
The blue pot was made especially for this tree, and the base line of the glaze echo’s the profile of the lower branches.
It is necessary to consider that if the pot colour is chosen to contrast or harmonise with a tree in flower or fruit, it may only be suitable for a short period of time, it may be worth considering another pot for the rest of the year. This is also true if you are showing a deciduous tree as a winter image, the pot that suit’s the tree in leaf may appear to heavy in the winter.
There are also horticultural requirements to consider, some flowering and wetland trees may need a greater reservoir of available moisture to thrive, eg. Willow, Alder, Wisteria, to name just a few.
It is obvious there are many factors to consider when choosing a pot, above all the tree should be the main focus of attention, the pot must compliment the tree, but be secondary in the whole composition.
I am always happy to work with you in selecting a pot for your tree, and making one just the right size, shape and colour, there is no obligation to buy until you are satisfied with the finished pot.
I’d love to hear your comments on any aspect of this article - please contact me.
This article was written by John Pitt from John Pitt Bonsai Ceramics - based in Derbyshire, U.K., and published here on BonsaiCafé with his permission. Please visit John's website for more information.
