Ikebana

thumb| arrangement by the 40th headmaster [[Ikenobō Senjō, drawing from the by the Shijō school, 1820]]

thumb| flower arrangement in a (alcove), in front of a (hanging scroll)

is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. It is also known as . The origin of ikebana can be traced back to the ancient Japanese custom of erecting evergreen trees and decorating them with flowers as Yorishiro to invite the gods.

Later, flower arrangements were instead used to adorn the (alcove) of a traditional Japanese home.

is counted as one of the three classical Japanese arts of refinement, along with for incense appreciation and for tea and the tea ceremony.

Etymology

The term comes from the combination of the Japanese and . Possible translations include and .

History

thumb|A drawing of , from the (15th–18th century)

thumb|Illustration from the , believed to be the oldest extant manuscript of teaching, dating from a time shortly after that of Ikenobō Senkei. It shows various arranging styles of () wide-mouth (right) and upright styles.

thumb| arrangement with cart, at the [[Kyoto State Guest House]]

The pastime of viewing plants and appreciating flowers throughout the four seasons was established in Japan early on from the aristocracy. poetry anthologies such as the and from the Heian period (794–1185) included many poems on the topic of flowers.

Later on, among other types of Buddhist offerings, placing became popular in the Kamakura (1185–1333) and Nanboku-chō periods (1336–1392).

With the development of the architectural style starting in the Muromachi period (1336–1573), (scroll pictures) and containers could be suitable displayed as art objects in the , a precursor to the alcove, and the , two-levelled shelves. Also displayed in these spaces were flower arrangements in vases that influenced the interior decorations, which became simpler and more exquisite over time. The set of three ceremonial objects at the Buddhist altar called consisted of candles lit in holders, a censer, and flowers in a vase. The flowers in the vase were arranged in the earliest style called or , and were composed of and . Recent historical research now indicates that the practice of derived from a combination of belief systems, including Buddhist, and the Shinto belief is most likely the origin of the Japanese practice of modern . Together, they form the basis for the original, purely Japanese derivation of the practice of .

The art of flower arranging developed with many schools only coming into existence at the end of the 15thcentury following a period of the civil war. The eighth , Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490), was a patron of the arts and the greatest promoter of – tea ceremony – and , flower arrangement. Yoshimasa would later abdicate his position to devote his time to the arts, and developed concepts that would then go on to contribute to the formulation of rules in ; one of the most important being that flowers offered on all ceremonial occasions, and placed as offerings before the gods, should not be offered loosely, but should represent time and thought. Princess Takamado is the honorary president.

Practitioners

thumb|Woodcut print by [[Eishi of a lady practicing ]]

Followers and practitioners of ikebana, also referred to as , are known as . A teacher is called .

Noted Japanese practitioners include Junichi Kakizaki, Mokichi Okada, and Yuki Tsuji. At a March 2015 TEDx in Shimizu, Shizuoka, Tsuji elaborated on the relationship of to beauty.

After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami devastated Japan, noted practitioner Toshiro Kawase began posting images of his arrangements online every day in a project called "One Day, One Flower."

Another practitioner is the Hollywood actress Marcia Gay Harden, who started when she was living in Japan as a child, and has published a book on with her own works. Her mother, Beverly Harden, was a practitioner of the Sōgetsu school. She later became also president of the Ikebana International Washington, DC chapter.

Schools

Mary Averill (1913) gives an overview of the numerous schools of . A school is normally headed by an , oftentimes passed down within a family from one generation to the next. The oldest of these schools, Ikenobō goes back to the 8th century (Heian period). This school marks its beginnings from the construction of the Rokkaku-dō in Kyoto, the second oldest Buddhist temple in Japan, built in 587 by Prince Shōtoku, who had camped near a pond in what is now central Kyoto, and enshrined a small statue of her.

During the Asuka period, Ono no Imoko, an official state emissary, brought the practice of placing Buddhist flowers on an altar from China. He became a priest at the temple and spent the rest of his days practising flower arranging. The original priests of the temple lived by the side of the pond, for which the Japanese word is , and the word , meaning priest, connected by the possessive particle , gives the word . The name 'Ikenobō', granted by the emperor, became attached to the priests there who specialised in altar arrangements.

Ikenobō is the only school that does not have the ending in its name, as it is considered the original school. The first systematised classical styles, including , started in the middle of the 15thcentury. The first students and teachers were Ikenobō Buddhist priests and members of the Buddhist community. As time passed, other schools emerged, styles changed, and became a custom among the whole of Japanese society.

is a development of and considered the oldest school
Shōgetsudo Ko-ryū – originated by the monk Myōe (1171–1231)
– originated by Ōun Hoshi or Matsune Ishiro (1333–1402)
– originated by Ashikaga Yoshimasa (1436–1490), who was also called Higashiyama-dono or Jishō-in. Branches of this school are:
Senzan-ryū
Higashiyama-Ko-Sei-ryū
Senke-Ko-ryū – originated by the famous tea master Sen no Rikyū in 1520
Bisho-ryū – originated by Goto Daigakunokami or Bishokui Dokaku in 1545
– originated by Lord Kobori Enshū (1579–1647). The branches of this school are numerous:
Nihonbashi Enshū-ryū
Shin Enshū-ryū
Ango Enshū-ryū
Miyako Enshū-ryū
Seifu Enshū-ryū
Asakusa Enshū-ryū, as well as many others.
Ko-Shin-ryū – originated by Shin-tetsu-sai, who was the teacher of Tokugawa Hidetada (1579–1632)
Sekishu-ryū – originated by Katagiri Iwaminokami Sadamasa (1604–1673)
Jikei-ryū – originated by Shōuken Jikei in the year 1699
Senkei-ryū – founded around 1669 by Senkei Tomiharunoki
Tōgen-Ryu – commenced by Togensai Masayasu about 1716
Sōgensai
Murakumo-ryū
Tōko-ryū
Shikishima-ryū
Dōnin-ryū
Gengi-ryū – commenced by Chiba Ryōboku in the year 1772
– founded by Ippo Mishōsai (1761–1824) in Osaka
Yōshin Go-ryū – developed during the Edo period
Sei-ryū – commenced by Dōseiken Ittoku in 1818
Shōko-ryū – commenced by Hakusuisai in the year 1896
– founded in 1895 by Ohara Unshin
– founded in 1927 by Teshigahara Sofu
– founded in the 1930s with roots dating back to Emperor Saga, who reigned from 809 to 823 CE
– founded in 1937

Other schools include , founded in 1962 by Bessie "Yoneko Banmi" Fooks, and , founded by Kikuto Sakagawa in 1987 based on the Ikenobō school.

Theory

Since flower arrangement became popular with Buddhism, it was naturally imbued with Buddhist philosophy. The Buddhist desire to preserve life lies at the root of much of practice, and has created most of the rules of flower arrangement, controlling also the shapes of the flower vases, formed as to help to prolong the life of the flowers. Consideration of the vase as being something more than a mere holder of the flowers is also an important consideration. The surface of the water is always exposed, alongside the surface of the earth from which the grouping of flowers springs. This aids in creating the effect of representing a complete plant growing as nearly as possible in its natural conditions.

Styles

thumb| arrangement by Ikenobō SenkōII, a drawing from the , [[Important Cultural Property (Japan)|Important Cultural Property]]

in the beginning was very simple, constructed from only a very few stems of flowers and evergreen branches. This first form of was called . Patterns and styles evolved, and by the late 15thcentury arrangements were common enough to be appreciated by ordinary people and not only by the imperial family and its retainers, styles of having changed during that time, transforming the practice into an art form with fixed instructions. Books were written about the art, being the oldest of these, covering the years 1443 to 1536. became a major part of traditional festivals, and exhibitions were occasionally held.

The first styles were characterised by a tall, upright central stem accompanied by two shorter stems. During the Momoyama period, 1560–1600, a number of splendid castles were constructed, with noblemen and royal retainers making large, decorative floral arrangements that were considered appropriate decoration for castles. Many beautiful arrangements were used as decoration for castles during the Momoyama period, and were also used for celebratory reasons.

The ; style was developed as a Buddhist expression of the beauty of landscapes in nature. Key to this style are nine branches that represent elements of nature. One of arrangement styles is called .

When the tea ceremony emerged, another style was introduced for tea ceremony rooms called . This style is the opposite of the Momoyama style and emphasises rustic simplicity. is not considered a style of but is separate. The simplicity of in turn helped create the or style.

is a non-structured design which led to the development of the or style. It is characterised by a tight bundle of stems that form a triangular three-branched asymmetrical arrangement that was considered classic. It is also known by the short form .
style consists of only three main parts, known in some schools as (), (), and (). It is a simple style that is designed to show the beauty and uniqueness of the plant itself. Formalisation of the style for use in the Japanese alcove resulted in the formal style.
In , flowers are arranged in a shallow vase or , compote vessel, or basket, and secured on a or pointed needle holders, also known as metal frogs.
In the style, creative design of flower arranging is emphasised, with any material permissible for use, including non-flower materials. In the 20th century, with the advent of modernism, the three schools of partially gave way to what is commonly known in Japan as "Free Style".
Kyoto Ikebana artist Hayato Nishiyama says he enjoys designs with just a single flower, "to help people concentrate, to help them focus on seeing the beauty of an individual."

Gallery

File:挿花百規-61.jpg|Traditional

File:3. Nageire, Ric Bansho Carrasco, 2014, Tokyo, Japan.-001.jpg| of the school

File:Saga Goryu moribana kōseitai (hidarigatte).jpeg| of the school

File:Jiyūka.jpg| freestyle arrangement

</gallery>

Vessels

thumb|Woven bamboo flower basket (), by [[Living National Treasure (Japan)|Living National Treasure Hayakawa Shōkosai V]]

The receptacles used in flower arranging come in a large variety. They are traditionally considered not only beautiful in form, material, and design but are made to suit the use to which they will be put, so that a flower can always be placed in an appropriate receptacle, and probably in one especially designed for that particular sort of flower.

The thing the Japanese most seek in a vase's shape is what will best prolong the life of flowers. For this reason, vases are wide open at the mouth, for, unlike in Western flower arranging, they do not depend upon the vase itself to hold flowers in position, believing that the oxygen entering through the neck opening is as necessary to the plant as the oxygen it receives directly from the water; thus, the water remains sweet much longer than in small-necked vases.

The manga Zig Zag focuses on a boy named Takaaki Asakura (nicknamed "Taiyou" (the sun)) and his affection for flowers.
In Girls und Panzer one of the main protagonists Isuzu Hana's central theme and hobby is . She combines her passion for it with tanks. A limited special edition vase in the shape of a tank was made by a Kasama ware kiln that was seen in the anime.
In 1957 the film director and grand master of the Sōgetsu-ryū school of Ikebana Hiroshi Teshigahara made the movie titled , which describes his school.
Flower and Sword, released in 2017, tells the story of the development of during the Sengoku period in the 16thcentury. Directed by Tetsuo Shinohara, it was based on a novel by Tadashi Onitsuka. Masters and their assistants of the Ikenobō school were involved in creating the various , , and arrangements for the movie.

References

External links

Ikebana International
Ikebana History Museum