The British Museum in London is currently showing a flower display, 'Ikebana: Living Flowers of Japan' - introducing the traditional Japanese art of flower arranging. This is a school of art with deep spiritual and aesthetic significance. There are many different schools of ikebana. The Japanese calligraphy for 'ikebana' shown above literally means 'living flowers' - the bottom character is 'hana' - my name!
The aim of the flower arranger in this sense is to create art. The flower arrangement is not intended simply to bring a small piece of nature into a room, but to hint at the grandness of the whole of nature through the use of many different materials. Even the choice of vase and the space around the arrangement is important.
'One becomes quiet when one practices Ikebana. It helps you to live "in the moment" and to appreciate things in nature that previously had seemed insignificant. One becomes more patient and tolerant of differences, not only in nature, but more generally in other people. Ikebana can inspire you to identify with beauty in all art forms - painting, music, etc, and to always expect the best in yourself.' (Ikebana International Society website)
- These are grand claims indeed, but it is certainly true that a sense of beauty and joy can be felt when looking at the flower arrangement that is hard to express in words.
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