Ikebana, the Japanese word for flower arranging, is a rage all over the world. Ever since western florists discovered this versatile style of arranging flowers there has been no looking back. Ikebana means 'living plants' but a more accurate translation would be 'arrangement of plant material'. Ikebana attempts to show how nature and art relate to daily living. This it does through various symbolisms. Lets take a look at the different schools of Ikebana.
Rikka
Rikka means 'standing flowers'. These arrangements are always large yet very graceful. Three stems are the base on which the entire framework is structured. They are carefully balanced and often massive in proportion. The arrangement is usually four to five times bigger than the container it is set up in. Once the primary branch has been assigned the others are decided on a set pattern of measurements. This is a rather complicated way of flower arrangements because everything needs to be perfectly measured to ensure that the container does not topple over due to the weigh of the flower arrangement.
Bonsai
Bonsai means 'tree in a pot' in Japanese as well as in Chinese. This is one of the most popular arrangements, though it cannot be called floral in the traditional aspect. However it is an integral part of ikebana and is used for all the same decorative purposes that a regular flower arrangement is used for. A tree is planted into a pot after pruning it and coaxing it into a desired shape. The end result is simply breathtaking because it looks exactly like a tree only hundred times smaller and it needs to be nurtured too, exactly as you would for your flowers.
The other popular style is the Nagiere, which essentially requires a tall container and various artifices to hold the stems in place. It has a rather casual feel almost like a bunch of unarranged flower, and to think that perfect symmetry is employed to achieve this 'unarranged' look! There's the Moribana school of Ikebana which has an artistry of asymmetry, one is guided by the container and the material while following this design.
And lastly the Shoka school of Japanese flower arrangement which have a linear style and use no more than two varieties of material. Imagine vase with two uncut roses in it, that is most likely the Shoka design. Its beauty lies in its simplicity.
The Japanese art of arranging flowers is much like an art which needs to be pursued with diligence and dedication to understand its depth. It seems to extend beyond the task of arranging flowers and seems to encompass your entire life in a bid to explain the relationship between nature and our lives.
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