Bonsai

Acompellingjourneythroughtheworldofbonsai,spurredonbythesamemagicallightnessofatinybirdflyingthroughtheirbranches.ThankstoFabioPetroni'svividimages,thereaderswillfeelasiftheyarevisitingaspectaculargardenfullofminiatureplants,movingamongthemandobservingtheirsurprisingdetailsinclose-up,withtheastonishedgazeofAlicenewlyarrivedinWonderland.ThephotographerFabioPetroniandtheauthorAnnaMariaBotticelli,inpartnershipwithGruppoCrespiBonsaifromParabiago(Milan),chosetoselectthirtyparticularlysignificantexamples,andtoillustrateforeachofthemthefantasticandunpredictablechangesinappearancetheygothroughwiththechangingoftheseasons.Thankstothepurityandclarityofthephotographs,detailsemergethatcouldotherwiseeasilyescapethehumaneye:thegraceoftheiroutlines,thestrengthofthebudsastheypreparetoopen,themysteriousdesignofthebark,thepoweroftheroots,thedelicacyoftheflowersandtheperfectionoftheleaves.Bonsaitreesmakedecidedlyextraordinarysubjectmatter:theyarepottedplants(fromwhichtheirnamederives),usuallytrees,which,thankstoveryspecialtrainingtechniques,retaintheexactshapeoftheiroriginalspecies,inasizethatmakesthemeasytoviewintheround,likeminiatureplantbeings.Forthecompilationofthisvolume,GruppoCrespiBonsaiexclusivelyofferedthephotographerandauthortheopportunitytoworkwherehundredsofextremelyrareexamplesaregrown.Someofthemarekeptintheopenair,othersinclimate-controlledenvironmentsinaspecialmuseum,theCrespiBonsaiMuseum.Thisinstitutionisfamousthroughouttheworld,notjustinItalyorinEurope,becauseitishometothelargestandmostcompletecollectionofbonsaitreesoutsideJapan.