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Recently purchased from the Ian Hearn collection these old 'mikawa' Black Pines are a rare find these days.
It is an absolute pleasure, and responsibility, to work on such old pines like the ones pictured here.
The Ian Hearn collection is up for sale. Many fine bonsai have been sold but many more are 'up for grabs'.
Some fine examples have been loaded to our For Sale page. See an example of what is on offer.
My Apprentice and I were treated to a visit to the Ian Hearn Bonsai Collection recently.
Ian is putting his collection up for sale; a decision that Ian has been considering for some time now.
The collection consists of some very old bonsai Pines (mostly mikawa) as well as mature elms, maples and a number of exotic species rarely seen as bonsai today.
Steve managed to purchase this twin trunk Japanese Black Pine - 'mikawa' (centre image). A magnificent and large bonsai typical of the quality on sale now.
Opportunities like this are rare in todays bonsai world in Australia; to purchase a living example of Australia bonsai history can be a 'once in a lifetime' event.
I didn't realise that this Box leafed Privet bonsai was the oldest bonsai in Australia. It was a collected yamadori from Lisarow on the Central Coast of NSW. Ian Hearn collected and developed this bonsai over many years before it was donated to the National Bonsai Collection in Canberra.
The following is an abstract from the book "A History of Canberra Bonsai Society" detailing some history of the tree.
"In 1982, Ian Hearn and others dug trees from a hedge on an old dairy farm, established in the 1880s, on the Central Coast of NSW. To determine the age of the collected trees, another member of the dig group sent a sample to Sydney and subsequently received a report indicating that the trees were approximately 100 years old. Ian developed his tree for approximately two years, initially using wire, followed by a clip and grow process, then further directional pruning before transferring the tree to a bonsai pot in 1984. An early photo, showing the tree’s basic structure, appeared in the Autumn 1982 edition of Bonsai Down Under."........... "After featuring favorably in a design discussion by Ryan Neil at the 2013 AABC National Convention" ref. A History of Canberra Bonsai Society p.99
....... at this point the bonsai was donated to the National Collection.
The Australian Bonsai Gallery is proud of our 'Deshi' who seems to be able to source some incredible old stock to challenge himself with.!!
The transformation of this old stock plant was the most challenging yet, taking the best part of a day to complete the initial styling.
This tree is large.!! With a trunk diameter above the nebari of ~200mm.
As indicated by the red line, the main branch required some significant bending and had to be maintained in situ with a ratchet strap.
Other branches required 'V-notching', guy wires and heavy wiring.
This tree is now well on it's way to becoming a classic bonsai.!
The World Bonsai Friendship Federation established this international day of celebration to pay homage to bonsai Master Saburo Kato's mission to promote peace and friendship through the art of bonsai.
The day is celebrated on the second Saturday of May each year, which this year is 9-May-2026.!!!
Saburo Kato with Hiryu
We have named this bonsai - Tancho no mai (タンチョウの舞い) Dancing Crane. It may seem, to some, to be a little too 'poetic' but after redefining and improving the layers in this tree it's story seemed to tell itself.
This old Mikawa Japanese Black Pine was initially grown from Japanese seed by Ian Hearn in 1971. Ian had also developed and styled the tree over many years. The was purchased by the gallery ~6 years ago. It is a real honor and responsibility to be the custodian of such a special bonsai.
Tancho no mai (タンチョウの舞い) Dancing CraneThe philosophy of continuous improvement is a core focus for any serious bonsai practitioner.
The Japanese word 'Kaizen' ( 改善) represents this deep seated ideology in the bonsai world.
Year in year out we strive to improve our trees; adding to, and building on previous years of work is a never ending labour to achieve that elusive 'prefect imperfection' we see in the masterpieces of those Japanese masters we all follow.
Autumn and Winter are very busy times at The Australian Bonsai Gallery. The work done at this time is determinant of the future improvement of any bonsai. This is the focus of our student workshops over Autumn/Winter.
The old Mikawa Japanese Black Pine featured in this article, is one that I feel, has improved significantly this Autumn. Smaller needles and improved ramification, as well as the all important Japanese notion of Ma (間) - the deliberate 'emptiness' or 'vacant space' between branch layers.
Check out the short clip at the bottom of this article for a 360 degree view of the recent work.
We have had a number of visitors and students asking about Summer work on Japanese Black Pine bonsai.
Most enquiries are, we think, born out of "itchy feet". Student wanting to do something to tidy up their trees over Summer.
The following short clip explains why you should put down the scissors and tweezers for a while and just let your trees do what they do best in summer...... ie, grow and mature their second flush growth.
Bud selection and needle plucking should only be done after the second flush has matured and well into the cooler months to ensure that no more growth will occur.
Remember that this article applies to JBP in refinement.
This old Black Pine has been for sale for some time now. Offers made but I was unwilling to let it go at a reduced price.
Reluctantly I am now at the stage where I need to move this one on and at a price that I had not thought I would be offering it at. Click HERE for the detail and images.
The Australian Bonsai Gallery is celebrating a 50 year milestone of bonsai cultivation.
From our humble and confusing beginnings in 1976 we have been experimenting, failing and learning all aspects of this wonderful art form.
Bonsai has now become our 'IKIGAI' (生き甲斐). A life-long passion of learning and of continuous improvement.
We have come to realise that the Japanese notions of Ikigai, Ichi-go-Ichie, and Wabi-Sabi are so closely intertwined with the art of bonsai. The understanding of these notions definitely enriches the understanding and application of bonsai art, design and philosophy.
Finally we would like to give a big THANKYOU to our many students, and Deshi, for their enthusiasm in allowing us to pass on our knowledge.
