The South African Bonsai book by Hall, Doug
The South African Bonsai Book (Author-Signed & Inscribed Collectible Hardcover)
The Definitive Pioneering Manual on the Art, Cultivation, and Shaping of Bonsai under Southern African Conditions
The Definitive Pioneering Manual on the Art, Cultivation, and Shaping of Bonsai under Southern African Conditions
Bibliographic Specifications
- Title: The South African Bonsai Book
- Author: Doug Hall
- Publisher: Howard Timmins, Cape Town
- Publication Date: 1983
- ISBN-10: 0869781363
- ISBN-13: 9780869781364
- Edition Details: Presumed First Edition. A highly exceptional, unique association state featuring a personal presentation gift inscription and an official signature by the author, Doug Hall.
- Binding: Original publisher's premium hardcover binding with crisp, unmarred title design across the spine face.
- Physical Format: Quarto (4to). Extensively illustrated with a vast array of technical design drawings, step-by-step styling sketches, and historical photographic plates.
- Language: English
Official Condition Report
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The Book: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Exterior Boards: The original publisher's hardcover casing is flat, structurally square, and exceptionally well-preserved. The binding displays only very limited, microscopic signs of superficial handling or storage shelf wear along the extreme corner tips. The spine remains completely unbroken, firm, and uncreased. The entire volume is wrapped in a premium cellophane protective cover sleeve.
- Interior: The text block is robust, tight, and securely bound. Internal pages and glossy photo sections are remarkably clean, crisp, white, and fully intact. Free from standard user text highlighting, pen underline indicators, dog-ears, or dealer pencil pricing lines.
- Provenance & Association: Features a highly collectible, crisp ink presentation gift inscription alongside an authentic signature penned directly by the author, Doug Hall, on the preliminary opening page.
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The Dust Jacket: Very Good Plus (VG+)
- Condition & Integrity: The original illustrated vintage dust jacket is present, showing sharp graphic clarity and deep coloration without sun-fading or major paper loss. It exhibits only negligible evidence of minor edge friction, now completely stabilized and protected inside the premium archival cellophane sleeve wrapper.
Synopsis & Historical Value
First released in 1983 by the prestigious local house Howard Timmins, The South African Bonsai Book stands as the absolute foundational cornerstone of miniature arboriculture literature on the African continent. Written by Doug Hall, universally revered as a master of the discipline, this classic field manual was born out of a necessity to adapt traditional Japanese and Chinese horticultural laws to suit the distinct climates of the Southern Hemisphere.
The book acts as a comprehensive, masterfully illustrated roadmap, ensuring that hobbyists can successfully produce and maintain exquisite Bonsai in any part of South Africa—and indeed, any part of the world. Hall expertly guides the reader through advanced styling principles, root-pruning intervals, wire positioning, pot selection, and moisture retention strategies. From modifying local soil mixtures to cultivating indigenous African trees like the Baobab or Acacia into breathtaking miniature forms, this author-signed and inscribed copy represents an irreplaceable investment piece for both serious Bonsai practitioners and rare Africana collectors.
Author Profile: Doug Hall
Doug Hall was an elite South African horticultural master, visionary landscape artist, and pioneering educator who effectively introduced the structural art of Bonsai to a generation of Southern African collectors. Highly accomplished in botanical acclimatization, Hall founded several local specialist societies, lecturing extensively on how to navigate regional microclimates, high-altitude sun exposure, and dry winter patterns. Celebrated for his highly logical, clear, and pragmatic prose style, Hall stripped the intimidating mysticism from Eastern miniature gardening, making his definitive handbooks timeless reference assets for academic researchers and private antiquarian collectors across the globe.
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