Accessories

Ikebana is not all about flowers and arrangements. Ikebana is Zen, harmony which means other elements have to be used in order to attain balance. Here are some of the accessories used:

                               Pumpkins

Pumpkins are used due to their shape and the color which represents  the autumn season.

                                       Apples

Apples are very abundant and people like to use them in Ikebana due to the red ,yellow, and green tints that can compliment almost any arrangements.

Bamboo

Bamboo is the most common type of accessories used. It is very flexible and easy to arrange which is why  it is used by  both novice and professional. Also, cost wise bamboo is cheap compared to the other materials. 

                                                       Bonsai

                                         

Bonsai are actual trees they are just "downsized" sometimes they are referred to as miniature trees. You can almost turn any tree into a Bonsai. Some people like to use Bonsai trees as part of their arrangement. Who can resist not to groom a tree this small?

It is the closest you can get to  grooming  actual trees. 

To learn more about Bonsai please visit this link :http://www.bonsaiprimer.com/bonsai/bonsai.html

Thanks for reading my blog. I hope you picked up something that you can possibly use in the near future.

Commonly Used Flowers

Producing high quality Ikebana arrangements are important as well as selecting  what flowers to use. Here are some of the most commonly used flowers in Ikebana and my suggested substitutes.

Chrysanthemum 

The chrysanthemum is an important symbol for Japanese people as it represents the sun. The flower and its petal itself is considered to be a natural perfection. A single chrysanthemum petal is often placed in the bottom of a wine glass to represent good health and longevity.

In the west, if we don't have Chrysanthemums we can substitute it with Dahlias(bottom picture). The Dahlias are also shaped like and would compliment any arrangements nicely.

Iris

The iris is a symbol of heroism and nobility in Japan. The word for iris in Japanese is "shoubu." Irises are thought to offer protection from natural calamities such as storms and typhoons.The  idea that irises ward off evil came from China to Japan.
 


If Iris(top) is not available Orchids(bottom) can be used as a substitute. Orchids are the ideal substitute for Iris because of the variety in color and also the shape is almost similar.

Peonies

 Peonies originally were from  China and came to Japan with Buddhism by the eighth century. Peonies are often used in ikebana because it symbolizes wealth and prosperity. In ancient times, only the rich and middle class families can afford to raise peonies.

 

If Peonies(left) are not available, Carnations(right) are the best substitute. In my opinion the best substitute for Peonies are Carnation. The shape of Carnation flowers bear striking  resemblance to Peonies. You can also use Roses.

The Big Four

Now you know a little bit about the 4 big Ikebana schools( from the previous post)!  Let us  then continue and have a look on some video tutorials and examples  that  would help us further our understanding. 

In this video she teaches the very basic of Ikenobo as well as going through the different containers that are used in the arrangements. Visit this website for more info: visit www.morikami.org.

Sogetsu Ikebana. It's a video of an exhibit from Ikebana students in Los Angeles. I hope you enjoy it.

A demonstration of Ohara Ikebana from Grand Master Reiko Kawamura. :)

Another demonstration of Ohara :

Ikebana International Schools

Ikebana is not only exclusive  to Japan. The Japanese people take great pride in sharing their art around the world.

In Toronto, we have 4 International Ikebana Schools, namely : Ikenobo, Misho, Ohara, and Sugetsu. Each school has its own distinct designs and discipline. 

Ikenobo

It is the oldest school dating back as far as 500 years ago. It means "priest's residence by the pond" and can be traced back to 621CE when a priest took up residence in a temple by a pond which later grew into the city of Kyoto. This School use to be only for priests and nobility.

http://www.ikenobo.jp/

Misho                                                                                                                                 

 It was founded about 200 years ago by Mishosai Ippo, who left the life of a Samurai warrior to study flowers. The school has arrangements that have basic shapes of isosceles triangles. It was to encompass the universe, people and the earth, in other words harmony.

http://www.misho-ryu.com/english-index.htm

Ohara                                                                               

 Unshin Ohara,  created the Ohara school in 1895 and departed from the traditional upright forms of ikebana by introducing a wide shallow container. It was considered revolutionary at that time, because it allowed more freedom of expression. This school is known for its landscape Ikebana. 

                                      http://www.ohararyu.or.jp/

                                      

Sogetsu

"It was founded in 1927 by Sofu Teshigahara. He established the principles that flowers may be arranged by anyone and that any type of material may be used. Sogetsu ikebana aspires to express oneself freely with an open mind."

                                     http://www.sogetsu.or.jp       

  

Moribana and Nageire part 3

After much delay we come to the last of the basic styles, Cascading.

Cascading is the style where the main stem hangs lower than the rim of the vase. It stresses the use of  flexible materials which create beautiful lines and compliment the flowers.The  idea is to expose the side, you want your audience to see the arrangement from its side or wherever  they can see most of the arrangement. Keep in mind that the room and where you put it can affect how people perceive it. It might be hard to understand but here are some pictures to help you see what I mean.

Cascading (Moribana)

Cascading (Nageire)

Here is a link to show you how to create a Cascading (Nageire) arrangement:

http://www.holymtn.com/garden/Ikebana2e.htm

Valentines!

Better Late than never,
Happy Valentines!

Instead of buying those expensive bouquets for that special someone, Why not apply what you learned?

This is the perfect opportunity to show your love one how you really  appreciate them by doing your own arrangement. The game from the previous post can you help plan out.

For this Valentines, I tried to make a Nageire(Upright). My idea revolved around putting colors that were complimentary, like white and pink. It looked good in my head but it gave me quite a challenge when I was doing the actual arrangement. I promise next time I'll put up a picture of my attempts and we can maybe compare and trade ideas. Ciao for now!

Ikebana Mini Game

A little break for all of you folks out  there!


I  was trying to write my Detectives Essay when I stumbled upon this nifty game. I found this game which is almost like a simulation. If you want to practice your skills on flower arrangement or have nothing better to do,   checkout  this flash game. The graphics can be a little kid like, but mind you, it's free and it fun!
Ikebana Flash game