A Naked Bonsai......

This is a bonsai that has been completely defoliated.  It is one of the techniques, used for certain species, to trim and shape a bonsai.  The defoliation will not hurt this tree.  It allows one to see in the tree, follow the primary branching, which bifurcates to secondary branching.  Then tertiary branches develop that yields to the fine twigging.  Here is where the leaves grow out and generated food and growth.  In order to keep the shape, size and health, the tree is defoliated, trimmed and snapped back.  The style is maintained in this manner as well the overall size maintained.