Qianlong Emperor’s Penzai Trees-
The Qianlong emperor was especially skilled with sword, brush, and bow. He was also quite the art connoisseur, amassing a unique collection during his lifetime. These two versions of this painting of the emperor with some of his treasures both include Chinese Penzai (better known by the Japanese term for these trees, Bonsai).
What I find most interesting, is that these Chinese Penzai trees are quite similar in feel to Japanese Bonsai. Judging from the fair number of contemporary Chinese Penzai I encountered on my many trips around China, one has the impression that the Chinese approach to this art is one where the tree are generally fuller, with more foliage. That does not appear to be the case for Penzai styled during the Qing period.
It is also interesting to note that while Penzai does not appear to have been as popular in Imperial China as it was in Japan during the same period, these trees were still treasured by some literati.