, 1885-06-24
METHODS OF eoUoUET-MAKlNe.
Two schools Of the Art-How the Busl-
ness IL Taught in Japan.

ness IL Taught in Japan.
New Orleans Timer Democrat
There is in the Japanese department
of the exposition a painting of the ia
nous ceremony of ''powder-tea max
ing" A great many years ago the EN-
peror established this ceremony for the
purpose of encouraging art. In the
room where the long hakamouno hang
on the walls, the host is seated, with
his guests ranged in front of him in n
circle, manufacturing the tea with great
care and solemnity upon the little fur
mace sunk in the floor. One conyiye
after another takes q cup and while he
slowly sips criticises the scroll pictures
that are in his range of view. In one
corner is II little raised recess where
a thin blue smoke curls up from the in
cense burner, and in a similar one is II
vase full of flowers.
Apparently these flowers are simply
thrust into the Jar, but in reality there
is a profound art exercised in their ar
rangement.
This is II OF the Two great arts Of
bouquet making In Japan this mat
ter is not relegated, as with US, TO florists
who ignorantly follow the promptings of
their crude fancies. but is a fine accom-
plishment into which all the young al
mond-eyed, golden-skinned Japanese
women are initiated during their school
course.
There are, - said Mr.. Itchizo Hattori,
two schools of bouquet making; but !
will call some one who will tell you
more about them than | know. I'm
fortunately, the gentleman summoned
couldn't speak English, and the
reporter was so out of prac-
tee in his Japanese that it was arranged
Mr.. Hattori should act as interpreter.
The gentleman with the %foraging cap
proceeded then to relate, in his pleasant
sounding tongue, full of soft ~breathings,
the details of this tlowery art.
.In Japan. continued the gentleman
in tho foraging cap, occupations de
scend from father to son, unless the son
proves incompetent, and then the favor
tie pupil assumes the name and tho
trade. SO it is that "A few families teach
the art of bouquet-making. The most
famous of these is the Cgasawara, who
teach the more modern school, which is
called Enshin. indeed it is called Oga-
sawara Enshin for them. This was a
reform on the older and more artificial
style in which the lowers were made TO
trinity balance each other on each side,
a rose on the left, corresponding to n
rose on the right and a branch in the
middle and n stated amount of green.
t was called the school of lkenobo
which means literally thrust into, -
and is still a favorite. though yielding
to Fnshin. Enshin signifies standing
up" and the effort is to make tho flow
ers appear as natural as possible.
Two bamboo sticks are crossed in the
neck OF the vase. and the broken
branches of blossoms arranged simply
upright between them as if springing
from the vase, and with no crowding of
different kinds with each other.
lowers are always arranged in vases
in Japan, never in wired shapes or do
signs; the great cushions of flowers o.
which we are so fond, the Crescents
stars and hearts, arc to them an abOm
nation.
The houses are always profusely
ornamental with potted plants, and at
dinner parties instead of adjoining the
tables one corner OF the DON is decor
ated with these. ~interspersed with the
vases full of towers.
They have also nm art of preserving
flowers for great lengths of time by
different processes, n of which is to
char the ends Of the stems, thereby
preventing the juices from exuding.
OF old every n was ia ght the
flowery science, but Of late it has fallen
in large part into the hands of the
women, who pass in their graduating
year strict examination in the art.
Princes also are required to know 1t,
and amateurs and very elegant persons
are ashamed of any ignorance on the
subject: in short, so well regarded are
the Two Great Arts OF Bouquet Max
ing, that when ono wishes TO say the
last word as to the taste of a friend,
one says he is, indeed, a noble bouquet
maker