Ikebana: what is it, history and rules of creation

The art of ikebana came to us from Japan, although many believe that it originated in India and China, and only after it came to Japan. This intricate word refers to the ability to form unique, original, effective compositions that are able to express human emotions.

Masters of ikebana combine unusual materials, flowers, branches of strange shapes. Gradually, art departed from religiosity and began to embody not only gifts in temples, but also elegant bouquets in social life. Ikebana had a huge impact on floristry, thanks to its principles, many floral arrangements are made.

Flower art from Japan literally translates as a composition of fresh flowers. It was in Japan that ikebana gained real popularity, and distribution around the world went from there. The history of the compilation of bouquets began in the 15th century, when monks created flower bouquets as a gift to the gods in temples. Gifts for the Japanese gods formed on the principle of moderation, elegance, naturalness.

It’s enough a bud, a petal, a branch for a real master to create a masterpiece from them, reflect the beauty of natural nature and make sense. The ikebana master not only creates bouquets, he reflects his inner state, shows the beauty of the soul, worldview, the infinity of the cosmos. A flower is not only the basis of composition, it is also a symbol of eternal life.

There is a legend that tells how the art of natural flowers was born. Once upon a time, a tornado of unprecedented power destroyed a huge amount of flora in Japan. After that, the monks went around the distorted gardens, collected fragments of plants and flowers. With this amazing gift, they turned to the gods with a prayer asking for the restoration of the tormented gardens. Buddha heard them, and in a moment the gardens became again lush and luxurious, as before a hurricane. This was the beginning of flower offerings, in each of which the monks tried to enclose a request, appeal, and gratitude.

Specialists highlight a number of features that make ikebana different from standard floristry:

• not only aesthetic, but also semantic expressiveness, reflecting the thoughts, mood, ideas of the person who makes it;
• absolutely logical relationship between all parts of the composition;
• the volume due to which the effectiveness of the composition can be estimated from any point of view;
• high-quality balance, thoughtful color palette, color correlation, their placement, harmony of light and dark, small and large so that the composition looks holistic;
• competent accenting, most often the role of the accent is played by one non-standard object - an exotic plant, a bizarrely curved branch - around which other elements tactfully emphasize the expressiveness of the accent are located;
• harmony of the base, that is, the correct choice of the vessel is considered very important - it can be the background, stand, bowl, but they must be included in the overall composition, be in organics with it.

The Japanese consider ikebana-style compositions as art, where they are trained for a long time and painstakingly. It is impossible to master the art of playing the violin in one lesson, and floristry requires constant and relentless studies, self-improvement.

The vertical primarily reflects the flight, joyful emotions, the rise of mood. Horizontal - calm to indifference, detached attitude, melancholy. The concept of color can also express a lot, for example, shades of a warm spectrum - yellow, orange - symbolize a joyful mood and positive, peacefulness, disposition towards others. The cold gamut - blue, blue, gray - expresses calm, restraint.

There are neutral palettes, for example, greens, which combines all other keys in a single plot. The master knows how to play with shades and contrasts to express his emotions to awaken them in others.

The philosophy of Buddhism, religion left a definite imprint on the basic composition of ikebana, which was traditionally created from two branches - good and evil, then from three when they were joined by the image of a person. This triangle will form the basis of all styles and types of ikebana. Contemporary art has undergone certain changes: the interior began to play a very important role, in which Ikebana is entered, the gamut of the surrounding color, light.

Throughout the history of the art of “living flowers” ​​hundreds of schools and different directions have been born, but there are few recognized and influential ones. Specialists distinguish only three areas.

• Ikenobo. This is the very first school that was formed in the 15th century by Ikenobo Sensei. This monk composed unique compositions for temples: not too flashy, restrained, but incredibly meaningful in meaning. Their size, however, was very large. Among the styles, the main ones were seca and rikka.

• Ohara A later school, born already in the 19th century and presented a new style that won love all over the world - Moriban. Its distinguishing features are the use of low vessels, vases with water and a flat bottom.

• Sogetsu. This moon and grass school was founded in the last century and was founded by Sofu Tesigahara. It was this master who first applied third-party materials such as metal, plastic, and fabric in ikebana. Now the natural elements of the composition organically coexisted with the natural. Due to this, ikebana left the premises in parks, squares, city streets, subways.

There are ikebana schools with different stylistic trends in many countries of the world, including Russia. This art came to our country quite late in the 20th century. Most often they teach not old methods, but modern styles.

Specialists distinguish the following main styles in the art of "fresh flowers":

• nageire (heika), hallmark - arrangement of elements in high-type vases with support along the edges;
• moribana hallmark - low-lying elements horizontally; flat vessels, trays are used;
• jiyuka - allows you to arrange the elements in free order and in any direction.

Let us consider in more detail each of the three main varieties.

It is characterized by the following main features:

• tries to reflect the principles of naturalistic philosophy;
• differs in volume of execution;
• vessels of only a low type are used, but of different shapes: square, circle, rectangle, oval.

There are three components of the composition in this style, the proportional ratio of which must be strictly observed: Heaven, Man, Earth (7: 5: 3). It is important to rely on the size of the vessel, the order of placement of the elements. The first action is the location of the main objects on the rods, then they achieve volume by introducing additional elements that complete the plot.

There are three main forms of the Moriban style.

• Tekutai - vertical, allowing the use of long, straightened elements, stems of plant flowers. Often these are bamboo, daffodils, gladioli. The base can be installed strictly vertically with a maximum deviation of 30 degrees in any direction.

• Syatay - allows inclination of forms and transverse lines. Unusually curved materials, branches are often used. Here deviation is allowed more than in the tekutai. The effect is a bowed bouquet.

• Suitai - cascading layout method. Here plants of flowing type are used. The main elements of the composition may hang below the vessel. Look luxurious on coasters, shelves.

The proportional ratio and the form of the plot itself is similar to the previous style, here the fundamental difference is observed in vases, more precisely, their form. It uses vessels of high type with a narrowed throat, in which the ensemble is composed. Additional elements for fasteners are also used in the form of branches of a split type, crosses, supports made of wood.

The freest of the varieties in which non-trivial materials are used to emphasize the beauty of the natural. Often these ensembles are surreal, eclectic. They combine ancient art and a new, modern view of the world. A variety of shape changes are allowed, including any materials, decorative elements, including artificial ones. Live flower, dead wood, plastic, metal, glass, stone can be combined in one ensemble.

The shape of the vase is also preferably original. Jiyuka allows eclecticism, a mixture of directions, the inclusion of geometric objects, expressive color contrasts. The artist’s imagination is not constrained by anything; he is free to create without limiting himself.

All the rules for composing ikebana are preceded by a basis - the purpose of the composition, its idea and main meaning. The Japanese devote quite a lot of time to this process, especially since it is largely meditative. The times when only an expert monk could make up the ensemble are a thing of the past. But the principle of attitude towards ikebana, as an offering of the Universe, as a ritual procedure, in many respects remained the same.

Each work must have a philosophical meaning. In traditional ikebana, this is a confrontation between the forces of evil and good, later, thanks to the development of the Chinese teachings of Confucius, the third element was added to the composition - man. In addition to Confucianism, the Zen teachings also contributed to the methods of composing ensembles, emphasizing the importance of human life, the rejection of pomp in favor of the current moment and routine.

All this ultimately influenced modern methods of composition, despite all the changes under the influence of time. In order to correctly compose a work, it is necessary to rely on three main components: Heaven, Earth, Man and additional elements that connect the entire ensemble into a harmonious whole. In addition, it is necessary to observe the rules for the formation of the ensemble:

• asymmetry is the basis for the placement of elements, but the overall composition is based on a triangle;
• despite the triangular base, all parts of the ensemble are not on the same line and in the same plane;
• Thinking over the proportions of the whole work, they primarily rely on the shape, height and size of the vessel;
• the choice of a vase is extremely important: it should not draw attention to itself, that is, be too catchy, it is better to choose a vase in one color, in harmony with the overall composition;
• the vessel can be any: basket, bucket, toy, containers of glass, wood, porcelain.

The most popular forms of containers for ikebana:

• flat type for moribana: plate, dish, tray of any shape;
• high type, for example, a bottle, a decanter.

After the composition is thought out and the vessel is selected, go to the selection of elements. It is very important to correctly calculate the size, in this it is also worth starting from the size of the vase first of all. What matters is the chosen style. There are different formulas for calculating the size of elements. To begin with, determine the length of the Sky, where the height and diameter of the vessel are added and multiplied by 1.5. Then determine the length of the line of Man, which is? from heaven.

The angle of inclination is important; it determines the shape of the entire ensemble. The line of Man should be inclined towards the line of Heaven. The shortest item in the ensemble is Land located in front of or away from the slope of the two previous lines. After the three main elements are located, additional jusi is included in the composition. The main thing is that they should not be longer, catchy than the main ones, and not stand out too intensely.

Bulky elements, too many different materials, excessive filling of the composition, splendor are not allowed in ikebana. The basic principle is a lot of free space, air, clarity and significance of each element. All parts are fixed with benzene or foam for florists, if the materials are artificial.

Even in spite of clear rules, learning to create in this way is rather difficult. Like any art, ikebana requires inspiration, training, bestowal, imagination. Specialists recommend first of all to try simple ensembles and strict, unusual materials.

Making ikebans with your own hands at home is a very exciting process. Moreover, this creative event involves the use of a variety of elements. Compositions made of natural material look very impressive: dried flowers, pine branches, branches of other trees, Christmas trees, different leaves.Flowers are also popular: gladioli, orchids, daffodils. Often used parts from foamiran, other materials. In any case, the basis of the entire ensemble is capacity.

If you have seriously decided to do ikebana, then consider purchasing a special base base - kenzana. It is easily replaced with sponges for florists, polystyrene, sand, expanded clay. It is important to consider whether you plan to use natural or artificial materials. Depending on this, choose fasteners. After fixing is thought out, a vessel and materials are selected, you can begin to form a triangle.

remember, that elements should not be located in one plane, the ensemble should be voluminous regardless of the material, asymmetric, multifaceted.

To make a composition of artificial or natural flowers, you will need a vessel: a bowl, a vase, a saucer, a bark, a tray. Flowers are incredibly beautiful and perfect elements, so the vessel should not argue with it, rather, slightly emphasize the beauty and fragility of the flower. When choosing a container, think about how it will resonate in color with the details of the ensemble. The ideal basis for a modest floral work is a basket or a vase made of earthenware. If you prefer luxurious flowers such as chrysanthemums, lilies, roses, use more expressive vessels: vases made of glass, porcelain.

A solid vessel will best emphasize colorful floral elements. If you make the center of the ensemble the vase itself, and it should look more expressive, as elements in this case take modest-looking flowers, branches. Artificial decor in the modern style of ikebana often becomes the main one. Such floral arrangements are no less sophisticated and elegant, while it’s easy to care for them, and they will stand for a very long time, when compared with a living flower.

A simple master class of ikebana from roses will require:

• capacity: vase, basket;
• the actual flowers and decor;
• florist sponge;
• secateurs, knife, scissors.

Algorithm:

• a sponge is laid on the bottom of the vessel, which has previously been moistened;
• not too large plant is located in the center;
• we cut the stems to the required size;
• set flowers in a basket;
• fix;
• We bring decor at will and design, completing the overall picture.

Flowers are far from the only material for making ikebans. Unusually look ensembles of fruits, vegetables. Cauliflower is often used as an element. Parsley, dill, other greens look great as a decor. Fruits are perfectly complemented by berry clusters, rowan branches. To make this ikebana look more interesting, it is better to choose the basis of a non-trivial form. In it, you can decompose the selected fruits or set on skewers, adding additional decor.

Such compositions are very common both in a minimalist style and more elegant. Dry bare branches are often taken to form futuristic ensembles. Branches of spruce, pine are great for winter, holiday works, intended as a gift for the celebration or as a decoration at home. Coniferous branches are decorated with balls and other decor. Dry, modest branches are perfectly complemented by flowers.

We offer you a master class on creating an elegant composition of dry branches and dahlias. You can use decorative or real branches with berries, branches of hawthorn, mountain ash.

Work algorithm:

• in the container are the selected branches;
• in the process of placing the branches are cut, get rid of excess parts;
• the central zone is decorated with greenery and selected branches;
• since there are natural flowers in the composition, it is necessary to pour water into the vase;
• we select dahlias of different sizes and heights, we include them in the ensemble;
• We finish the composition by editing the elements.

It is very important to invest in the ensemble that mood that owns you, your worldview. Often this can be an event or just the embodiment of the weather outside the window. The seasons bring certain motives to the ikebana. Very often they are made up at some point, holiday, as a gift or for yourself. New Year's, winter, Christmas themes are often used in ikebana, as well as autumn.

The spring mood is embodied mainly with the help of flowers: tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, freesia and branches of fruit trees. First of all, decide which of the inflorescences will play a major role, and which - a minor, around this whole ensemble is built.

Creation Algorithm:

• we prepare all the elements and tools;
• we prepare the material according to the size of the vessel;
• we moisten the fixer, we place it in the container;
• pour water to cover the sponge;
• we remove the extra leaves from the flowers, cut the stems;
• place more expressive flowers in the center;
• then randomly add secondary flowering plants;
• we make out branches of fruit trees;
• we place small flowers at the edges, emphasizing the size and expressiveness of the central ones;
• we correct all plants, give them the right direction.

Autumn motifs are very versatile, they are bright, juicy and spectacular, while the mood of wilting nature can be both basic and half hint. Enough bright branch with beautiful autumn leaves, combined with flowers in tone to get a graceful ensemble. Fantasy is not held back.

We offer an algorithm for creating an autumn motive:

• on the bottom of the vessel is a latch with spikes, it is purchased in florist shops;
• branches of an autumn tree, such as a fruit tree, are thinned out;
• give them the necessary direction and shape;
• lock in containers;
• prune the stem of the selected flower, such as roses, chrysanthemums;
• free them from excess foliage;
• Arrange the flowers at different heights, for example, a rose above, a chrysanthemum below;
• add decor, expand the ensemble.

We bring to your attention several beautiful compositions that you can create with your own hands and decorate the interior.

See how to make ikebana out of paper in the video below.