My
middle grand-daughter, Niamh, has just been staying for a few days,
mainly to do a Photo Tour of Brugge. But we found time to go to Sint
Walburgakerk nearby where there was a brilliant exhibition of
Ikebana, part of the European Regional Conference 2018 for three
days. One of my friends who lived in Japan for several years, is a
practitioner and enthusiast, hence my knowledge of the exhibition
dates.
 |
| Sint Walburgakerk, Brugge |
I have
always admired Ikebana in a casual way but after the large and varied
display in Sint Walburgakerk, and the sheaf of notes provided on the
various schools of theory, I was moved to read around the subject a
little. The first arresting statement I read, “
In Ikebana,
flowers are cut not killed” meant that I was hooked! Ikebana
isn’t just Japanese flower arranging as I had thought; it is both
an art and a philosophy which seek to capture the soul of the flower.
Ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are
brought together and is essentially minimalist, emphasising shape,
line and form. Buddhism arrived during the 6
th century in
Japan from China and Korea and with it came the custom of offering
flowers on Buddhist altars from which eventually developed the
highly-organised Ikebana.
 |
| The Silver Pavilion, Kyoto |
A 7
th
century Buddhist, Senmu, who stipulated that Art should demonstrate
and develop harmony between Man and Nature, provided the basis for
the later emergence of Ikebana which came about chiefly through the
thinking and creativity of the 8
th Shogun, Ashikaga
Yoshimasa (1436-1490). He was an influential patron of the Arts and
the greatest promoter of Cha-no-yu, the Japanese tea ceremony, and of
Ikebana. Also known as Kado, “
way of flowers”, together
with Chado, the tea ceremony and Kodo, incense appreciation, these three constituted the essential classical Japanese acts of refinement
and all three evolved at Yoshimasa’s Silver Pavilion in Kyoto. There,
Yoshimasa’s friend, the celebrated painter Soami, conceived the
idea of representing the three elements, Heaven, Human and Earth, in
Buddhist flower arrangements from which have grown the Ikebana
principles of today.
The large exhibition itself was beautifully laid out and labelled, with
exhibitors from Europe, U.S.A. Japan and China represented. And, of
course, the wide variety of styles and form on view made for a feast
for the senses. Several visitors spoke in awe of the demonstration on Thursday by the youthful Japanese Ikebana Master, Akihiro Kasuya.
 |
| 19th century print, The Fifth Month: The Ikebana Gathering |
 |
Japanese Ikebana Master, Akihiro Kasuya
Demonstration in Sint Walburgakerk
|
