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Your cart is empty.With these five Bonsai (Forever) stamps, the U.S. Postal Service celebrates the beauty of bonsai. The word "bonsai" (Japanese for "plant in a pot") refers to the art of cultivating plants — usually trees — in trays, pots, or other containers. Favorite bonsai plants include evergreens, maples, and azaleas, but many other trees and shrubs are also suitable. One of the common styles of bonsai is shown on each of these five stamps. The first stamp depicts a Sierra juniper in semi-cascade style, in which the tip projects over the pot rim but does not extend below the base. Second is a trident maple in informal upright style, in which the trunk bends slightly to the left or right. Third is a black pine in formal upright style, with the trunk straight and tapering evenly, with symmetrical branches, from base to apex. Fourth is an azalea plant in multiple-trunk style, with several trunks emerging from one root system. The fifth and final stamp shows a banyan in cascade style, in which the trunk evokes a stream flowing down a mountainside, with the tip extending below the pot's base. The plants depicted are roughly 15 to 20 inches tall. Although no one knows when the first bonsai was created, it is generally accepted that Buddhist monks brought the practice from China to Japan about a thousand years ago. The bonsai collection at the National Arboretum began in 1976 when the Nippon Bonsai Association in Tokyo, Japan, presented the people of the United States with 53 plants as part of the U.S. bicentennial commemoration. A bonsai master begins with seeds, cuttings, a naturally stunted tree, or a very young tree. Over time, he or she prunes the roots and branches, uses wire to shape and "train" the branches, and sometimes scrapes or peels bark to achieve desired effects. The plant is watered and repotted when necessary, and can live a hundred years or more. Art director and stamp designer Ethel Kessler worked with artist John D. Dawson on the "Bonsai" stamps.
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2025
Exactly what I was looking for. Packaged well and delivered fast. Thanks!
Drusilla
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2025
Quick delivery ad the stamps are unique and lovely.
Michael Overson
Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
It arrived with a small crease down the middle. The small piece of cardboard they used for shipping was way too small for the envolope. But it wasn’t terrible and I think I can flatten it out. Great looking stamps to collect
Customer
Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2024
Top notch stamps we couldn’t find elsewhere. Packaged up securely.
Erin Mayberry
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2016
Awesome stamps! Couldn't find them at my post office in Michigan. So pretty I almost don't want to use them...
Lisa M. from Oregon
Reviewed in the United States on August 27, 2015
I purchased these more for a keepsake--my husband and I have wedding rings made with this artwork. I'm so happy I was able to find these after so many years.
J.
Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2014
I am happy with my purchase. The stamps arrived quickly and I like the way they looked. I am glad I did not have to go to the post office and wait in the long line.
N. Kent
Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2013
They are Forever Stamps and I have used a couple already to mail letters to family! They loved them too-they are different and colorful and in this season of cold weather, looking at them almost reminds me of springtime and trees coming back to life! Thank you so much-I couldn't get to the Post Office so these were a life saver!
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