ABSTRACT
The bonseki is a miniature landscape composed in a tray with stones, pebbles, and sand. It often forms one of the ornaments of the tokonoma, and adds much to the artistic atmosphere of a parlour. The art of composing tray landscapes is one of the accomplishments of Japanese young ladies. It forms a feature of their artistic education outside school, before they start building up their own homes; or it is an amusement of older men or women, who find in it a means of enjoying themselves in a quiet way at home.
