Ikebana - The Japanese Art of Arranging Flowers
The Japanese culture is full of interesting and intriguing customs. One such beautiful concept in the Japanese culture is Ikebana or the art of arrangement of flowers. Ikebana has been practised in Japan since the sixth century and has evolved over the centuries. The concept of Ikebana comes from the Buddhist practice of offering flowers to the spirits. In the fifteenth century, this art took its present form and since then various schools have come into being that practise this art form in differing styles.
Most people adorn flowers by simply putting them in a vase or container. But the Japanese have perfected the art of creating beautiful arrangements which aims at nature and harmony with humanity. Ikebana is a much disciplined form of art and is not merely about coordinating and combining coloured flowers together. Rather, it creates synergies by making use of the stems, the leaves and emphasizes upon the shape and form of the arrangement.
Ikebana is all about creativity. However, just like any other disciplined art, there are rules governing it. The arrangement is not just a mere creation but often has some meaning associated with it.
The concept of minimalism finds its presence in this art. Only a minimal number of flower blooms or buds are to be used along with the leaves and stalks. Twigs are usually used as symbols of man, earth and heaven or to denote the sun, moon and the earth.
There many popular styles in Ikebana that originates from various sources. Some of the most well-known ones are outlined below.
Rikka
Rikka is a standing flower arrangement which symbolises the beauty in nature. There are seven twigs or stalks representing various elements of nature like hills, valleys, waterfalls etc.
Nageire
Nageire is a non-structured arrangement of flowers. The stems are bundled together tightly to form a triangular asymmetric design.
Shoka
Shoka is quite a simplistic design. The arrangement of flowers is such that the emphasis is on the beauty of the plant itself.
Several other forms of Ikebana like Jiyuka and Moribana are also popular arrangements. The entire concept of creating arrangements from flowers which are visually tantalizing is practised with much diligence in Japan and other countries.
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