Ikebana (Tablet Text)
NEXT PERFORMANCE: Ikebana Flower Arrangement
The Japanese art of flower arrangement is called ikebana, or kado.
When performing a live demonstration, ikebana practitioners first sit and carefully lay out their tools.
After inspecting the materials and planning the composition, they start working on the arrangement.
Ikebana is a classical art, the origins of which can be traced back over 1,500 years.
When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in the sixth century, it became customary to offer flowers in vases before the statues of Buddhist divinities.
Over time, this practice of flower offerings developed into an independent art form.
Nobles and educated Buddhist monks held exhibitions to appreciate beautiful arrangements.
In the sixteenth century, the monk Ikenobo Senno (1482–1543) codified rules for the practice of flower arranging.
This is generally considered to be the beginning of ikebana as it is known today.
Ikebana gradually became popular with people of all social classes.
It was particularly favored by tea masters, and a simple, elegant flower arrangement became a standard feature in the tea room.
Multiple schools of ikebana were founded over the centuries, and many are still active today, teaching students of all ages.
Here, the arrangements are composed by masters of the Ikenobo or Saga Goryu schools.
Ikebana emphasizes seasonality, asymmetry, and the beauty of negative space.
Much thought is given to arranging the flowers and branches in a way that would also draw the eye to the space between them.
Ikebana primarily uses plants that express the current season.
This includes new buds, flowers in full bloom, and plants that have begun to wither.
Once the arrangement is complete, it is placed in the tokonoma space.
The arrangement is usually displayed by a hanging scroll or in a position to be admired when entering the room.
