The second tree is the best, due to its superior character and design, although it lacks in technical refinement. The key word is harmony: it has to be in harmony with the rest of the tree. As a general approach, please note that a 10 is awarded when I cannot find any obvious fault that warrants a deduction. Therefore, once it is established that some works are examples of good art, it almost guarantees that the pattern will be perpetuated by future artist and critics. Comment: Need further refinement. The technique, on the other hand, includes the technical details, such as branch placement, branch refinement, taper, nebari, pot selection, etc. The two trees could never be regarded as equals. An example of the simplest, but often-used system is to score the bonsai from a scale of 1 to 10. It is graded a 2 in the area of subject. Relative importance of judging criteria. So, the character of this tree is not as spectacular as in the case of Tree#1, but is better designed. But it has only two major categories and a total of six criteria. The judge looks at the tree, and gives 5 to what he considers average quality. How is the above system different from the traditional grading system, where the judge looks at the tree, instantly decides which one is better, and gives it a grade from 1 to 10? Judge Rober Steven scored 7. That 's because the taper in this case would be in perfect harmony with the literati subject. trunk taper of a literati tree, even though it has very little taper. Note, that we could have just used the Total column as it is, without calculating an average grade. There is little transition between the diameter of the massive trunk and the diameter of the upper portion. However, there is no primary tree and no obvious apex—there is too great a uniformity in terms of height. The design, however, doesn 't take advantage of the potential of the material. The last one on the craftsmanship side is the pot selection & placement. The overall grade is, therefore 5. Comment: None. The following list describes the key areas which are usually individually weighted in "scoring" a tree, although at the end of the day significant personal interpretation and judgement is applied when considering these aspects : It needs to fit the material and not to go against it. Here are the key requirements again: Simplicity/practicality. Comment: A very nice composition. So, when grading taper or nebari, we should not give a higher grade to a nebari just because it is larger. Comment: Nature 's incredible masterpiece, which displays artistic beauty in the amazing crown. Branch development is a large category, and includes several aspects. judging criteria - There are several key aspects which are considered in judging a BONSAI >BONSAI in bonsai competitions. The branches are in need of wiring, taper, and more mature ramification. Rutledge   CSS :: XHTML Site Sponsored, maintained and updated by ofBonsai Magazine, World Bonsai Convention 2009 - A Photo Essay, Great times in Czech Republic - A Personal View, The Fourth Annual AoB Halloween Gallery (2009), Mass Produced vs Master Produced Bonsai - Only One is Art by Michelle Dougherty, Review: UBI 2009 - Italy with a Bonsai Flavor by Enrique Castano. If I decide to become a bonsai master, I will judge my own work by the same abstract rules of 'good' and 'bad' and produce bonsai that pass my own criteria for judgment. Site In the last part of the article we will have to test the system on real trees. It would help us to distinguish between aspects that matter most, and those of lesser importance. One could argue that this could be on the artistic side, instead of belonging to the technical aspect. This form of judging is very informal and intuitive. Think about an old collected yamadori: it has a trunk that suggests great age; it has mature bark; it also has unique features, such as jagged curves, bumps, cavities, and possibly deadwood. I will start the process of building such a judging system by separating the qualitative attributes of bonsai into two major groups: Subject and Technique. Comment: Nice design, but if the pot is moved a little bit to the left, it will look much better in optical balance. Judge Budi Sulistyo scored 5. This is a very nice linden and a rather rare subject in the world of first-rate bonsai. How often have you seen photos of your trees and So, the subject incorporates all the artistic aspects, as well as the character of the material, and ultimately, the overall image. Judge Budi Sulistyo scored 6. have not seen major bonsai exhibitions and only judge bonsai from photos or the standard of their local club. 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