|
|
Ikebana Contiuned
Over the years many different schools
of ikebana developed including the first and perhaps most
famous, Ikenobo. A Buddhist priest from the Rokkakudo Temple
in Kyoto became so adept at flower arrangement that priests
from all over came to him for instruction. Since he lived
alongside a lake, his style came to be known as ikenobo meaning
"next to the lake". To this day, the Ikenobo school of flower
arrangement is one of the most beloved in Japan and there
are many schools which teach this style. Later in the fifteenth
century, the rikka style emerged which was based on the ikenobo
style but with more formal rules of arrangement. The seika
or shoka style developed in the late eighteenth century and
is characterized by a tight bundle of stems which support
a three branched, asymmetrical triangular design. These styles
together are referred to as the "classic style." In the early
twentieth century, ikebana became popular among well-to-do
women and many new styles emerged. While the type of vase
used in arrangements was always given great artistic consideration,
it wasn't until much later when two styles emerged which were
specific to the actual shape of the vase used to hold the
flowers. The moribana style is characterized by a low, shallow,
broad vessel and a very open arrangement while the nageire
style features a tall vase and an arrangement which is supposed
to look like it was casually "thrown into the vase". The moribana
style was developed by a professor of the Ikenobo school,
Unshin Ohara who started using the shorter stemmed Western
flowers brought to Japan during the Meiji period and put them
in squat vases accordingly. When he asked the Ikebono school
to incorporate his new style into their teachings and was
refused, he started his own ikebana school, the Ohara school,
which is still popular today. Gradually freer and more colorful
styles of ikebana emerged and in 1926, Sofu Teshigahara founded
the Sogetsu School. Over the years, there has been some borrowing
of styles between Japan's ikebana schools and sometimes in
more modern styles, the incorporation of inanimate objects
and dried flowers in arrangements. At the same time, ikebana
which was originally an art form associated with Buddhist
tradition, has become a popular decorative element in Japanese
style and beautiful arrangements can be seen in hotels, restaurants,
galleries and of course, the Japanese home. While there are
numerous ikebana schools and styles today, the three most
famous are the Ikenobo school, the Ohara school and the Sogetsu
school. Traditionally, masters of ikebana were men beginning
with the Buddhist priests of the early fifteenth century,
however, in recent years, Japanese women have become ikebana
masters in their own right. Schools of ikebana are located
throughout Japan and it continues to be a popular pastime
among young and old, men and women.
|
|
|
