There was a wide use of pewter among the wealthy noblemen during the Roman times. The Romans occupied England for its tin, copper and lead mines in Cornwall. The scarcity of Roman-British era pewter artefacts have led some experts to believe that pewter was melted down and re-used when it became worn out or damaged. In the 11th to 13th centuries, pewter was used for sacramental reasons by the church due to the poverty situation but once the church prospered, this practice stopped. Instead, pewter was used more as utensils in the church.

The popularity of pewter tableware use during the 1200’s and 1300’s led to the formation of a guild that regulated the quality of workmanship and adequate productions of pewter artefacts in mid-1300. These guilds were given the power, by the Royal Charter of Acts of Parliament, to hold their own courts to judge on legal matters regarding their craft and enforcing the standards of workmanship. The 1400’s through to the 1600’s saw pewter tableware becoming accessible to people from all classes as Britain was becoming affluent due to the redistribution of wealth, a decline in the population led to an age of opportunity and the growth in the number of people of substance.

The bonsai is not just another plant in a pot. Although the words “bon” and “sai” refer to “tray” and “planting” in Japanese, bonsais are different from all the other trees and shrubs in your garden simply because it is deeply rooted in ancient history.

Over 2000 years ago in China, its people harboured a love for the tranquil landscape of their mountains. They began to collect trees from the mountaintops, planting them in their gardens to recreate the world that they so admired.

Also known as “penjing” in Chinese, bonsai involves the aesthetic art of miniaturising trees by growing them in pots. Beginners will discover that any tree can be grown as a bonsai, although some are more popularly used because of their delicate beauty and grace.

Long appreciated for its meditative qualities, the refined art of bonsai allows one to channel their creativity into crafting these masterpieces, through dedicated learning, planning and thought. Many have found that caring for their bonsais significantly removed the stress of the outside world.

With oriental gardens ubiquitously found even in the Western countries, bonsais are constantly sought-after as a sign of affluence and class. Tranquil in nature yet mystifying to a certain extent, bonsais have a life of their own and are often astonishingly treated like pets instead of as plants.

The Bonsai Language

“Talking” to bonsais is not uncommon among fellow enthusiasts, as can be verified by Leong Fook Ho, a bonsai master whose interest and experience in this field started well over 20 years ago. “It’s not something that you have to do. It just comes naturally. You’ll be surprised that it does encourage better growth,” says Leong, 69.

According to him, bonsais were first introduced in Malaysia by the Southern Chinese settlers who came to Singapore and Melaka in the early 1930s. However, interests only bloomed in the 1980s when the Malaysian Bonsai Society was formed.

Having been President of the society himself, Leong has participated in countless bonsai competitions and exhibitions,
winning awards that will make any bonsai master turn green with envy. He has even conducted numerous bonsai lectures and workshops within the country and in the United States.

“Up till now, the art of bonsai in Malaysia has managed to achieve a very high standard, rivalling those from China, Japan, Taiwan and Indonesia,” says Leong. And he should know this to be true, having shared his expertise as a representative judge in local bonsai competitions. Some of the more popular species he has encountered include Jasmine, Ehretia Microphylla, Pemphis Acidula, Juniperus, Triphasa Trifolia and Japanese Black Pine. “There are even small local banana tree bonsais in Singapore!” marvels Leong.