Composing bouquets in Japan is a special kind of art that contains a deep philosophical and symbolic meaning. Each composition of flowers is a symbol of the universe and the universe. Ikebana, created with his own hands, is a sculpture in which flowers and plants are means of expression, creating a spatial artistic image. The main thing in it is the shape, lines, color and dynamics. Translated from Japanese, "ike" means life, and "bana" means a flower. The classical composition is necessarily based on an isosceles triangle, the sharp peak of which is directed upwards and indicates the sky, and the other two angles are man and earth.
The new ikebana schools, which appeared in Japan at the beginning of the twentieth century, break traditions and create bold free compositions using the most unexpected materials, but the three main lines of the conditional triangle — sky, man, and earth — are preserved.
At present, when compiling the ikebana composition with one's own hands, two main options are used: vertical - nageire, when plants are fixed in a high vase using hidden structures made of bamboo sticks, and horizontal - moribana, where flowers and branches are placed in a low vase, pricking them on kenzana - a special needle device.
Japanese ikebana does not use a large number of flowers, because it is designed to emphasize the beauty of one plant, to fully reveal its shape and color.
You can create a flower arrangement of "ikebana" with your own hands, but you should not be like a Japanese master and try to convey the deep philosophical meaning that he puts into it. After all, the Japanese have been studying this art for years, contemplating the world and comprehending mastery. A certain slope of each twig and flower, their color and shape - everything has a specific meaning. It’s enough for us to know that green in ikebana means spring, red means summer, and white means autumn. Equally “talking” are various combinations of plants. So, pine branches in combination with a rose or peony symbolize eternal youth, flowering apricot or cherry - feminine beauty and grace, iris and bamboo shoots - male plants, meaning strength and courage. Most often, orchids, chrysanthemums, bamboo, pine and wild plums are used in ikebana. The Japanese consider them the most noble plants.
Composing a composition of ikebana from flowers with our own hands, we can use plants that are more familiar to us - coniferous and deciduous. The main thing is that the following most basic rules are observed. In the composition, where three different plants participate, when fixing them in a vase, they adhere to the principle of a hidden triangle, the top of which is directed strictly up. If there are more flowers, then this principle can be neglected, the main thing is that each of the plants should be isolated and stand out with its perfect shape and color. To fix the vertical composition in a tall vase, use coils of thin wire or small pebbles that are poured with a thick layer. In transparent glass, several multi-colored layers of sand or decorative pebbles become an additional decoration. Do-it-yourself horizontal composition of ikebana is fixed with a floral sponge. You can make kenzana yourself by stuffing nails on a wooden stand, only it will have to be fixed in a vase with a load (for example, small stones) to give the bouquet stability. To create a Japanese composition of "ikebana" with your own hands (see photo below), large, unusual shapes of flowers are selected and combined in contrast: white with bright pink, red with green. It is also permissible to create compositions using artificial flowers, fixing them on a beautiful curly branch or snags.
The art of ikebana in Japan is considered a national symbol, original mastery, which is fully mastered only by one who fully understands the soul of the people and is imbued with his peculiar vision of the world. We can only touch this art.