The people in the Far East strongly believe that flowers can synthesize earth, heaven and humankind in a stronger bond. Their exceptional philosophy is reflected in their style of arranging flowers; it is special; it is Ikebana, an ancient art of flower decoration where aesthetics and atheism becomes complementary to each other.
The genesis of Ikebana as a branch of decorative art can be traced back to the days of sixth century Japan, where this particular floral arrangement used to be the vital part of the offerings in the feet of Buddha.
The art of Ikebana is founded on the premise of symbolism. The florist wishes to reflect the harmony of color and rhythm of the nature through this minimalist floral arrangement. Unlike the Western floral decoration, Ikebana does not emphasize on the beauty or volume of the flower alone. With the uses of other materials like vase, sticks, stems and leaves they try to bring about the harmony that rules this universe.
Any art form suffers from stagnation and eventual death if it does not make any attempts at contemporization. Earlier part of the past century witnessed a trend of modernity gradually embracing these thousand years old art form and today the trendier version of Ikebana, the zen’ei ikebana or zen’eibana is even more popular than the classic form. In today’s Japan, Ikebana is no longer treated as an art form to be mastered by the women to cut a greater value in the marriage market. Today Ikebana is preserved and protected by the Japanese as one of the national traditions.
Have you ever tried to speak your heart to someone special? Try to speak through the language of flowers. A flower gift arranged in true Ikebana style will best convey your message and something more to your loved one.