Ikebana

This morning was our monthly ladies Coffee and Conversation group at church, and this morning's presentation was on Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. The lady presenting it had learned the art form during the seven years she lived in Japan, and now gives classes and presentations on it, and donates the profits she makes to various charities.
Ikebana has been practiced for more than 600 years. Its beginnings can be traced to the 6th century introduction of Buddhism to the Japanese. It arose out of the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. The first teachers and students were priests and members of the nobility.
However, as time passed, patterns and styles evolved so that by the late 15th century, arrangements were common enough that they were appreciated by ordinary people, not just the imperial family and its retainers. Thus began the development of an art form with fixed requirements. As time passed, Ikebana became a major part of traditional festivals, and ikebana exhibitions were held periodically. Rules were prescribed, and materials had to be combined in specific ways.
More than simply putting flowers in a container, Ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. Contrary to the idea of floral arrangement as a collection of particolored or multicolored arrangement of blooms, Ikebana often emphasizes other areas of the plant, such as its stems and leaves, and draws emphasis toward shape, line, form.
Another aspect present in Ikebana is its employment of minimalism. That is, an arrangement may consist of only a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks and leaves. The structure of a Japanese flower arrangement is based on a triangle delineated by three main points, considered in some schools to symbolize heaven, earth, and man. The container is a key element of the composition, and various styles of pottery may be used in their construction.

The rain, which had started last night, continued through most of the day, so after lunch, Roger and I went to work out at the "Y", then in the evening went to a Cincinnati Symphony concert at Music Hall in downtown Cincinnati, featuring amongst other works, Griegs Piano Concerto, which I love.

One year ago: Place Jacques Cartier at dusk