The Art of Flower Arrangement

The art of Ikebana is a tradition that dates back to the Heian period (794 to 1185) of Japan that began as floral offerings made at altars and slowly became flower arrangements used to adorn small parts of traditional Japanese homes, especially that of upper class Japanese families. It came to fruition under the influence of Buddhist tea masters and grew over the centuries to develop numerous schools and style types flourishing underneath the flower arrangement tradition.

What Is Ikebana?

Ikebana is the study and practice of the art of flower arranging that is popular in Japan. In Japanese, ikebana literally means "flowers kept alive", and there are several different types of schools in relation to ikebana which focus on different styles, plants, and vases used in your arranging.

Schools and Principles of Flower Arranging

There are over 3,000 schools of ikebana, but of those several thousand schools, there are three that are considered the most popular types of ikebana: Ikenobo, Sogetsu, and Ohara.

Ikenobo is the oldest school; it was founded by the Buddhist priest Ikenobo Senkei during the 15th century. It was developed as a Buddhist expression of beauty and nature, and features seven standing flowers representing hills, waterfalls, valleys, and other nature themes that are formally arranged. The style became more formalized until the late 17th century when the growing merchant class developed a simpler style.
Ohara is a more modern school of ikebana that was formed in the late 19th century. This school uses piled up flowers called moribana in a shallow, flat container. It began during a time when Western culture was heavily influencing Japan, so this style made use of Western plants while still keeping a formal style to appeal to the Japanese upper class.
In the 1930s or postwar period, ikebana became more widespread and attracted people of all social classes. In 1927, Teshigahara Sofu founded the Sogetsu School which was more avant-garde and introduced all kinds of materials to ikebana like plastic, plaster, and steel.

Styles

Within ikebana there are multiple styles that have become popularized over the years throughout the different schools. The following are considered the key styles of ikebana and feature variations of these designs throughout the different schools.

Moribana is the most basic style in ikebana. It means "piled-up flowers" and true to its name, it's usually featured in a low bowl or dish base with the arrangements standing upright or slanting stabilized by metal support structures in the container. Moribana is designed in a soft and less formal way to suggest serving up a full bowl.
Nagiere is another popular upright style that can also be designed to be slanting. What differentiates nagiere from moribana is that nagiere features a more cascading style and makes use of a tall, narrow container and are designed in a way to evoke the appreciation of line, motion, and balance. Nagiere is a favorite for ikebana beginners because it allows more flexibility to the design, which helps students develop the skills necessary for more advanced styles.
Sheika or shoka is a style that branched off of the nagiere style and employs three main branches in the design to represent heaven, earth, and man. This style also includes smaller branches throughout in a way that is designed to complement the three main branches.
Rikka style of ikebana branches off from Buddhist tradition. It means "standing flowers" and it involves seven branches arranged in a specific way to express the Buddhist view of nature and beauty.

Supplies

Aside from fresh flowers and foliage, every ikebana artist should have three essentials on hand to create basic arrangements:

Vases and Containers: Glass, ceramic, and lined bamboo baskets are the most popular choices for ikebana artists. The containers can be any size and depth depending on the style of ikebana practiced and the types of plants that are used.
Kenzan: Kenzan is a series of pins that are either part of a flat disk or mat designed to hold the flowers and stems in place. It's the substitute for floral form and is an incredibly important part of ikebana designs that make use of shallow containers.
Scissors: In traditional ikebana flower arranging, artists use scissors with large teardrop-shaped handles and stout with thick blades that were made to both slice through thick twigs as well as snip delicate blossoms.
Floral Wire: Ikebana artists use floral wire to bind flower stems together or to support weaker stems.
Decorative Stones: Decorative stones and marbles can be used to hide the kenzan especially in containers that are transparent and shallow.