Holy Week Art from Japan (Ikebana, flower arrangements)

How would you show scenes and themes of the Passion of Christ if you could just use plants and a few props?

This blog post profiles some very successful examples of doing exactly this, using the art of flower arrangements in Japan.

In 1990, a fascinating book was published in Japan:Consider the Flowers: Meditations in Ikebana.’ It is “an attempt to interpret and express the universality of the Christian message in the light of a local cultural expression - the art of flower arranging, ikebana.” Nearly 30 examples of ikebana by 3 Japanese artists are highlighted, each accompanied by scripture portions and short meditations.

Here’s some context for the art form before we look at 8 images that relate to Holy Week.

Ikebana (生け花, “living flowers”) is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, also known as kadō (華道, the “way of flowers”). More than simply putting flowers in a container, ikebana is a disciplined art form in which nature and humanity are brought together. 

Though ikebana is a creative expression, it has certain rules governing its form. The artist’s intention behind each arrangement is shown through a piece’s color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the usually implied meaning of the arrangement.Another aspect present in ikebana is its employment of minimalism. That is, an arrangement may consist of only a minimal number of blooms interspersed among stalks and leaves. 

The first classical styles of Ikebana started in the middle of the fifteenth century; now there are hundreds of schools and styles that have developed throughout the centuries.

All the above introductory information is excerpted from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ikebana

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The book’s introduction gives this context for the art form, and how these “Christian meditations in flowers” are laid in the “precious space’ of our hearts: “Traditionally in Japan one offers flowers at the altar of a shrine or temple, or in the home in the special place called a tokonoma where flowers are arranged according to the season. A tokonoma is a limited space, but a precious space … [Ikebana] is not a mere technique, but a spiritual discipline, a way to cultivate oneself in relation to the world” (page 4, emphasis added).

This blog post will only highlight a small selection of the images, those related to events and themes of Holy Week. You are invited to obtain the book to see the other three-fourths of the art, and to read all of the accompanying meditations. I’ve included the meditation and scripture passage for only the last image in this blog post, to whet your appetite to see the whole book!

The names of the 3 ikebana artists profiled in the book are Gako Ota, Koho Kamiya and Kyoko Yaumachi. The third artist, in particular, has “added new dimensions” to ikebana - the flower arrangements here come out of the 500-year tradition, while necessarily breaking new artistic ground (and perhaps some traditional aesthetic ideals) by representing narrative biblical stories.

The exact plants (and occasional other elements) used in each ikebana are listed under the picture.

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Entry Into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

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                                                                      Palm, Cross, Blocks

“When we look carefully, we can see a cross behind the welcoming palm leaves.”


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Jesus Suffering

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A Necklace of Tears

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The Cross

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Empty Tomb

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Resurrection

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A Net of Grace

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A Sign of Hope

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As an example of the text you find for every image in the book, here’s the meditation and scripture that accompany the image above (which is also the final image of the book). 

Our Christian faith is based on the suffering of Jesus’ crucifixion and the hope of his resurrection. The world is represented here by the wooden circle.

In Asian cultural traditions the circle has come to symbolize the cosmos. It is both the great beginning and the silent ending. It is the eternal, never-ending …

Here, the cross, made from driftwood, is placed centrally in the midst of the world. It is the sign of God’s love for the whole of humanity. The world is painful; there are thorns; but at the same time we see the world in the light of hope through Jesus Christ symbolized by the lavender-coloured orchids. Lavender is the traditional colour for suffering and hope in the Christian tradition.

God will be with us; God will wipe away every tear from our eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. (Revelation 21:3-4)

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Consider the flowers: Meditations in Ikebana
Edited by Masao Takenaka
Hardcover: 63 pages
Publisher: Kyo Bun Kwan (1990)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 4764209098
ISBN-13: 978-4764209091

Note that used copies of the book are available at Amazon USA for as little as one penny.

http://www.amazon.com/Consider-flowers-Meditations-Masao-Takenaka/dp/4764209098/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1457661682&sr=8-1&keywords=%22consider+the+flowers%22+ikebana

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Copyright of photos and text remain with the artists and book publisher. They are posted here for educational purposes under Fair Use criteria, and to drive more sales of the book.

You’ll find a second post with ikebana arrangements for Holy Week, some with extensive text in Japanese, in my follow-up blog post at
http://globalworship.tumblr.com/post/142661002460/holy-week-art-from-japan-ikebana-flower

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