Want To Know More About Ikebana?

"Here is everything you need to know about ikebana"

What is Ikebana? It is a Japanese art of flower arrangement. It originated from the 15th century when Buddhism first arrived in Japan.

At that time, ikebana was offered to the Buddha as offerings and also to the dead spirits.

Sooner, the art was took up by the kings and queens and also the nobleman. After that, you could see them at most of the traditional festivals and exhibitions.

Now, it is seen even in the average person's house as a decorative item.

It is said that if you use full bloom flowers in your arrangement, you are representing the past. If you use half-bloomed flowers, you are representing the present. And, guess what? If you use buds, you are representing the future.

What makes this Japanese flower arrangement different from the normal flower arrangement?

It is actually its shape. Its assymetrical form is the key in Ikebana. And while the normal arrangement tend to fillup the empty spaces, ikebana has a lot of them.

Despite this fact, an ikebana has the harmony between the flowers, containers and its surroundings.

To know more about the techniques of ikebana, you can visit this page.

What Are The Styles Of Ikebana?

The rikka consists of 7 or 9 basic parts with different lengths, angles and directions. Rikka means standing flowers. To make a rikka arrangement, you need to follow strict rules.

The rikka has two varieties : shokutai and shimputai. When the shokutai has 9 parts, the shimputai has only 2 parts, plus an additional part as the final touch.

In rikka, all the parts complement each other to represent the natural landscape.

The shoka, which means living flowers, also has two varieties : shokutai and shimputai.

After the rikka and shoka, freestyle or jiyuka was born. The freestyle is more relaxed. It is up to the arranger to arrange the flowers.

And, a freestyle does not necessarily have to be flowers. It can be anything, from papers, shells to dried materials.

The key is always to observe the texture, shape and colour to harmonize all of them. Use few leaves as possible to enhance the beauty of each element.

For examples of freestyle ikebana arrangements, click here.

Then, comes the Nageire, which also means flung flowers. Has 3 varities : suitai (cascading), shatai (slanting) and chokutai (vertical).

The Moribana or piled flowers also has 3 varieties like the Nageire. Usually, the Moribana is arranged in a dish-like low and shallow container. And Moribana is famous for its use of Western flowers in its design.

The Nageire and Moribana are not confined and rigid like the rikka and shoka.

Other useful information...

• If you're interested on learning how to make ikebana arrangements, here are some recommended books on arranging Ikebana with simple instructions. Plenty of ideas, too.

• Find out the tools used in making ikebana arrangements.

• Look at beautiful ikebana arrangements from the Annual Exhibition Ikebana International Kuala Lumpur Chapter 72.

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