Ikebana

Published on: October 20, 2004

by Dina Buck

Ikebana has its roots in Japanese history and is an art form that requires as much practice and discipline as any artistic practice. It is said there are over 3,000 schools of thought on Ikebana, which has, like most arts, evolved over the decades. That said, one can only hope to scratch the surface of what Ikebana is and what it represents, but having even a basic understanding of it can increase the viewer’s appreciation of the exquisite arrangements made in this form.

While sometimes appearing simple, Ikebana arrangements are quite complex in their assembly and symbolism. Much stricter than other forms of flower arranging, Ikebana has distinct rules for where and how the flowers must be arranged in a container. There are those who have spent years practicing Ikebana in the hopes of mastering the art.

Ikebana means "giving life to flowers" or "living flowers" and represent the joining or connection of humankind and the elements around us. This connection is represented by three placements in the arrangement that represent heaven or "shin", man or "soe", and earth or "hikae". These three elements have also been said to represent the past, present, and future. Lines, rhythm, seasons, color, and the size and shape of the container used all need to be taken into account when doing an Ikebana arrangement, and arrangements are always done on site. Flowers and plants are often used as they are seen and found in nature on the day the arrangement is done. The shapes the branches and flowers have grown in, and the color they have in the different seasons is left unaltered. If, for example, a branch were found with dead leaves on it, it would be inappropriate to remove the leaves for the sake of aesthetics.

Often, Ikebana arrangements are done in a low flat container, though vases and other containers are used. Flowers are often placed in a "kenzan" or "frog" (see earlier Floral Answers article in the archive on frogs), and some Ikebana artists have been known to make their own vases and containers, as the container is considered as important as the arrangement.

The arrangement itself is done, again, with respect to nature. The front of the arrangement represents the south, and is made more full since this is where the sun would shine. The back of the arrangement represents the north and is kept sparse. If you study an Ikebana arrangement, the main line in the arrangement and the tallest of the flowers represents heaven and is placed in the arrangement at an angle of 10 degrees. Man is represented by the next tallest flower in the arrangement, usually three fourths of the height of heaven, and placed at an angle of forty-five degrees. Earth is the shortest stem and is three-fourths the height of man. It is placed at an angle of seventy-five degrees. To cover the kenzan at the bottom of the arrangement, rocks, sticks or other natural items are used.

Some more well known schools of Ikebana include Rikka which is one of the strictest styles of Ikebana and represents the beauty of the landscape and has seven to nine parts in the arrangement beyond shin, soe, and hikae.

Nageire is a looser freer style and focuses on the beauty of the plants and flowers used in the arrangement. The nageire style also uses tall cylindrical vases versus low flat containers. Moribana is one of the more recently developed styles and one of the simplest and most flexible styles to practice. It is perhaps the style that comes closest to the description given in this article and is most suitable for beginners to try.

If you can find classes in your community on Ikebana, I urge you to try them out. It is a fascinating and beautiful art and its practice can lend one a whole new perspective on the relationship of humankind and the natural world.

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