Posted by admin | Posted in Bouquets and flower arrangements | Posted on 22-05-2007
Tags: creating ikebana, ikebana arrangement, Japanese floral arrangement
Ikebana – meanings and characteristics
First of all, ikebana is an art, the Japanese art of making floral arrangements. Ikebana means “making the flower live in water” and also “revitalizing the plants” and the entire nature, changing the only decorating aspect of the floral arrangements. What’s more important than the esthetic line is carrying into effect philosophical and abstract ideas of life and nature as the divine creation. Each ikebana flower arrangement is a specific world, a point of nature just by means of naturalness, simplicity and purity. It’s the harmony of vases, stems, leaves, branches and flowers. One single branch arranged in a specific ikebana container could be a Japanese floral arrangement. In this art are preferred the buds in stead of full-blown flowers, the winding stems in stead of right ones, asymmetry for symmetry, quality for quantity of flowers.
Tatebana -the first Japanese style that could be called ikebana
The first oriental floral arrangement was made in Tatebana (vertical flower) style, of which main characteristic was the presence of Shin, meaning the communion of spirit, will and justness. There came the other ikebana styles: Rikka, Nageire, Seika, Moribana, Heika and Jiyubana.
Ikebena lines
Ikebana floral arrangement is the recreation of nature in miniature, in which more important is linear construction than the color and quantity, asymmetry, putting into just the flowers of the season and the triangle heaven – man – earth.
Creating ikebana flower arrangement
To create ikebana flower arrangement, follow the next diagram. The tallest vegetal element is Shin (it’s symbolizing the heaven) and is one and a half the vase dimension and can be put in a variable angle from the vertical position. Then comes Soe (the man) and it’s ¾ from the length of Shin, disposed lateral- left from Shin. The last vegetal element is Hikae (the earth) and it’s ¾ from the length of Soe. It has to be arranged, opposing the medium element, in front of both vegetal materials. This is the main positions of ikebana flower arrangement, but is just a diagram that can be completed with other vegetal accessories.