Bonsai | Penjing: The Collections of the Montréal Botanical Garden

Ouellet, Danielle

In Bonsai | Penjing: The Collections of the Montréal Botanical Garden, Danielle Ouellet offers a beautifully produced, deeply informed tribute to a major public collection of miniature trees — including more than 350 specimens, some dating back to the 17th century. The book opens with historical and aesthetic discussions of bonsai and penjing traditions across Asia and North America, drawing on interviews with masters in China, Japan and elsewhere. The bulk of the book is dedicated to a full-colour gallery of the Garden’s trees, each accompanied by botanical, provenance, and curatorial notes — enabling the reader not only to admire the visual spectacle, but to engage with the stories, techniques and cultural significance behind each composition. Elegant photography, thoughtful text and a large layout make this work both a reference and an art-book, ideal for bonsai-club members, collectors, curators and anyone fascinated by the intersection of horticulture and fine art.

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