First of all, ikebana is an art, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Ikebana means “making the flower live in the water” and also “revitalizing plants” and all of nature, changing the only decorative aspect of flower arrangements. More important than the aesthetic line is the realization of philosophical and abstract ideas of life and nature as a divine creation. Each ikebana flower arrangement is a specific world, a point of nature through naturalness, simplicity and purity. It is the harmony of vases, stems, leaves, branches and flowers. A single branch arranged in a specific ikebana container could be a Japanese flower arrangement. In this art buds are preferred to full-fledged flowers, crooked stems to straight ones, asymmetry to symmetry, quality to quantity of flowers.

Tatebana – the first Japanese style that could be called ikebana

The first oriental flower arrangement was made in the Tatebana (vertical flower) style, whose main characteristic was the presence of Shin, that is, the communion of spirit, will and justice. The other styles of ikebana have arrived: Rikka, Nageire, Seika, Moribana, Heika and Jiyubana.

Ikebena Lines

The Ikebana flower arrangement is the recreation of nature in miniature, in which linear construction is more important than color and quantity, asymmetry, placing in it only the flowers of the season and the sky – man – earth triangle.

Creating an ikebana flower arrangement

To create ikebana flower arrangements, follow the diagram below. The tallest plant element is Shin (symbolizes the sky) and has one and a half dimensions of the dimension of the vase and can be placed at a variable angle from the vertical position. Soe (the man) comes next and is ¾ of Shin’s length, arranged laterally to Shin’s left. The last plant element is Hikae (earth) and is ¾ the length of Soe. It must be arranged, opposite the middle element, facing both plant materials. These are the main positions of the ikebana flower arrangement, but it is only a scheme that can be completed with other vegetable accessories.