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The origin of Ikebana stretches back over 500 years. The oldest Ikebana manuscript, "Kao irai no Kadensho" dates from 1486. The famous "Senno Kuden" manuscript, by
the founder of the Ikenobo School of Ikebana,
was written in 1542. Since this time, many styles have appeared, disappeared
and developed. |
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People
have long appreciated beautiful flowers and arranged them in vases. However,
in Japan, the way of arranging flowers and plants has been carefully
systematised and this is called ‘Kado’. |
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When Buddhism was introduced to Japan in about 538A.D, monks started to
arrange flowers to decorate the altars of temples. In the Heian period
(794-1192), appreciating flowers in a vase unrelated to religious
worship also became popular. There are number of novels, essays and
poems of that time which describe the aristocracy enjoying flower
arranging and admiring arrangements of flowers. |
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the Kamakura period (1192-1333), the Samurai (elite warrior class)
wrested the power of government from the aristocrats and brought great
lifestyle and fashion changes into the whole of Japanese society.
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At
this time it became fashionable to create a Tokonoma, a small sacred
alcove, in a zashiki (Japanese room). The Tokonoma would
contain a flower arrangement, incense and a candle. |
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It is because the space is
an alcove, that traditional styles of Ikebana
are designed to be viewed only from the front. |
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In
the early 16th century, people changed their attitude toward
flower arranging. They did not wish just to put flowers into a vase but to
enable the arranger to imbue the arrangement with some meaning or personal
expression. This approach forms the basis of Ikebana.
Indeed, Ikebana
is often taught alongside the philosophy of universe. |
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From the late 13th to 15th century, the
aristocrats and monks gathered at the Tanabata festival (festival of the
star Vega, the seventh day of the seventh month) where they competed in
flower arranging contests. |
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According to writings of the time,
the two master arrangers were Ikenobo Sengyo and Ryu-Ami. Ikenobo is the
name of the buildings within the temple called Rokkakudo in Kyoto,
considered the birth place of Ikebana. |
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In the
late 16th century a more complex and complicated system of
arrangement was developed. Originally known as "Tatehana", Rikka style
was established as the most formal style of Ikebana arrangement by the Ikenobo school. |
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Rikka
was mainly used for ceremonial occasions. The less formal Nageire
style, which did not require complicated rules, represented the
natural beauty of flowers. This style was preferred by the majority of
ordinary people. This evolved into a new style of flower arrangement,
called Shoka style, although it took long time to develop. |
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Many other schools of Ikebana started to appear during this, the Edo period (1603-1868). In
1820, Ikenobo Senjyo established the orthodox Shoka style. He wrote "Soka
Hyakki" ("Hundred principles of Flower Arrangement") and edited another
founding work, "Heika Yodo-shu" (Instructions on Classic Flower
Arrangement). |
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During the Meiji period
(1868-1912) Ikenobo styles were perceived as too staid and conservative.
The Meiji Restoration (1868) brought the influences of western culture
and this helped the modernization of Japanese flower arranging. Many
masters of Ikenobo School tried to tackle this constricting conservatism
of traditional flower arrangements. |
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This resulted in more
modern styles of arrangement such as modern Nageire,
Moribana,
modern Shoka
and Rikka
being introduced, largely in the Taisho period (1912-1926). |
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Nageire |
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Following World War
II, Japan was again greatly influenced by western styles. This
brought great changes to Japanese life styles, for example, Tokonoma are rarely seen
in modern apartments. |
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Ikebana has since become regarded
by many as art form. This has inspired more
freedom and resulted in the birth of
Free Style of Ikebana.
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Freestyle |
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In 1977, the current (45th)
Head Master of Ikenobo School, Ikenobo Sen’ei, divided Shoka style
into two: Shofutai which is traditional; and Shimputai in
which the arranger can be far more expressive. Similarly the most
formal, traditional Ikebana style of Rikka was also clearly divided into
two styles in 1999. |
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It is
said that in Japan, there are about 3,000 (and growing) different schools of Ikebana currently in existence. However, Ikenobo
School has the inherited traditions of the earliest Ikebana
masters and continues to develop traditional and modern styles of Ikebana.
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