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5. IKEBANA (JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT)

When did it start? - How does it influence American flower ar­rangement? - What are its principles ?

Japanese flower arrangement has a tradition and history which reaches far back into 553 A D, when the beginning of Buddhism in Japan gave birth to not only their religion but to their art as well.

Starting as insignificant decorations for the temple, branch, foliage and flower arrangements gradually became significant in the worship of Nature, and finally grew into the present highly developed art.

We are deeply grateful to the great painter, Soami, who gave birth to the idea of representing in flower arrangement, the three elements of Heaven, Man and Earth, from which have evolved the basic princi­ples of Ikebana.

1.-   Heaven (Shin) – Primary

Longest stem in center of group. 2.-   Man (Soe) – Secondary

Next in length.   Half the length of Heaven. 3.-   Earth (Hikae) – Tertiary

Half the length of Man. 4.-   Attributes (Jushi)

No fixed number or size.   These depend on the arranger.   They are naturally shorter than the respective chief branches.

In Ikebana, it is interesting to note that stems always tilt from the vertical and not from the horizontal; showing the nearness of the arrangement to its natural growth.

Pussy Willow Design Figure 19

A - Bronze container (Usubata) on a natural wooden base.

B - Bending the pussy willow twig.

Most thin branches may be shaped by the heat and pressure of the hands. Keep in mind that the thumbs must always be together at the bending point, to avoid breaking. Pressure should be applied evenly throughout the twig; with care not to concentrate pressure in one area to excess.

Figure 19.   Pussy Willow Arrangement

C - Holder of forked branches (Matagi).

This should be pressed firmly into the mouth of the vase before beginning the arrangement. Amount of water in the rim of the container is determined by the season. In spring, the container looks as if it were about to over-flow. In summer a cool effect is achieved by cutting leaves off at the water line. (Not in the case of Figure 19, which is a semi-formal line arrangement.

D - Hold basic lines in the hand as closely as possible, to appear as one strong unit.

E - After the entire arrangement with added Attributes has been de­signed in the hand, place it in the Matagi.

Vertical Line of Daffodils Figure 20

Here is a semi-formal arrangement of a minimum of daffodils with foliage, in a bamboo container with blond wood-stained base.

A - Container and base

B - Line and form design of the arrangement showing how the domi­neering vertical line adds a graceful upward sweep to the design. It is also interesting to note that though the tiny buds appear at the bottom of the design, the full flowers at the top do not over burden them. This is due to the fact that the entire arrangement is so de­signed to resemble it's natural growth.

Blue Agapanthus Figure 21

One of the most beautiful schools of Ikebana existing today, is Mori-bana. This is a more scenic type of design, which usually consists of two or more units to create the atmosphere of garden surroundings.

A - Container showing frog (Kenzan) in the front left hand corner.

B - Completed arrangement.   Characteristic of Moribana is the low bowl with the water visible to the onlooker.

C - Form and line design of the arrangement.

Aspidistra Figure 22

A - Usubata

B - Branch with dotted lines showing where to cut and form a forked holder.

C - Holder placed in mouth of container, showing where the branches are placed.

D - Line drawing of the arrangement after it has been formed (in the hands) into one parent stem.

E - Complete   arrangement with   leaf   (in this case) second to right cut to balance the design.

Figure 20.   Vertical Line of Daffodils

Figure 21.   Blue Agapanthus

Figure 22.   Aspidistra

To shape the leaves for this type of arrangement, cut them off the plant, clean them thoroughly, and role them in your fingers as if curl­ing hair. Place rubber bands where necessary, and keep in water over night.

You may rub the foliage gently with a bit of mineral oil to increase the natural gloss.

Orange Blossoms Figure 23

Here is a design with two focal points complementing each other.

A - Container with frogs in diagonally opposite corners.

B - First unit placed in the design.

C - Completed arrangement with two units.   The second group con­sists of a smaller amount of foliage with accent on the blossoms.

KEY WORD LIST

Hana -  English equivelant would be "flowers" - however, the Japanese term embraces all grasses, plants and trees in addition to flowers.

Ikebana -         Flower arrangement

Ikenobo -         Forerunner of all Japanese styles of flower arrangement. Formal design. Emphasis is placed on the skills displayed in constructing beautiful curves and harmonious proportions.

Kake-mono -      Art scroll

Mizukiri -         Term used to describe the practise of cutting stems in water. This simple device is for the purpose of protecting open stem ends from exposure to air.

Moribana -       More recent development in flower arrangement style.

This school of Ikebana combines the formality of Ikenobo with the naturality of Nageire, with the addi­tion of a third - the suggestion of landscape to convey the scenic effect.

Nageire -          Literal translation would be "throw - in".   Its meaning in the language of Ikebana would be the simple and naturalistic form of flower arrangement. The results are obtained by a more natural approach to design. The plant material would have more of a "thrown in" look rather than a "constructed" look.

Oki-mono –

Ornaments

Figure 23.   Orange Blossoms

Rikka - "Standing up flowers"   This is the literal translation of the term used for the large, ornate, scenic type of arrangement in the classic style of the lkenobo school. Rikka arrangements were conceived by the idea of representing Shumizen, the sacred mountain of Bud­dhist devotees, symbolizing the universe. One could say that Rikka embraced all the grandeur and beauty of landscape gardening in miniature.

Rikka has become old fashioned and is now seldom used. However, the style is still often represented in the ceremonies of the Shin, Judo and Zen sects of Buddhism.

Seiwa -            A simplified form of Ikenobo

Shaku -            The   Japanese   measurement  equivalent  to approximately 1 foot.

Tokonoma - This is the name given the small alcove which is built in for the specific purpose of displaying art objects and flower arrangements. The Tokonoma is usually found in the best room in the house. At one time it was the family alter, but gradually the religious mean­ing and use have disappeared. Still, the Tokonoma has somehow retained a sacred aura and has continued to be adorned with three accessories considered to be indispensable to a Japanese home: "Kake-mono," "oki-mono," and "ikebana."

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