The Washington herald., 1913-10-12
JnpnneSe Flower Arrangement.
From the Brooklyn Eagle.

From the Brooklyn Eagle
There is so much Of interest and beauty
attached 10 the Japanese art of ar
ranging cut flowers that it is curious to
think how little 1t has penetrated into
the floral decorations of America. For
instance, where the american woman
would gather a posy OF blooms from her
garden and group them together hap
hazard in a vase, regardless of their
natural surroundings and would often
mix them with foliage having no connec-
ticn with them whatever, the Japanese
arranger of flowers proceeds in quite :
different manner. To him il does not
suftice merely TO see : bowl or vase Of
flowers massed together, but il is neces-
sary that the Illusion of natural growth
shall be maintained. Thus. to his idea,
the bloom itself would lose its vitality
unless il were associated with its own
suTroundings-that is to say, the bios
som Of the plum must not be separated
from its gnarled trunk and pointed
shoots, nor must the iris be parted from
the green blades. in order that, though
culled for the vase. they may yet ap-
pear to be growing from the soil. So
essential is this idea considered by this
artistic race that it has led to the es-
tablishment Of actual schools of floral
arrangement, such as the 10, the En-
shiu, Che Sekishin, the Hana-no-moto,
the Ikenobo. the Rikkwa, and other
schools, some OF which do not greatly
differ from each other in results at
tanned, but each has its rules.
The cuttings employed are on a larger
ard more comprehensive scale than those
used for the American bouquet They
consist of long leaf or iower-clad-stem3
and sprays, and often of thick branches
They are yet, strictly speaking. but frag-
ments of larger and more intricate
Growths; and. as such. they cannot pre-
sent without treatment the true char
acteristics Of the complete plant or tree
v hich il is the purpose OF the designer
to portray in his compositions. The ar
ranger of flowers, therefore. takes GER
tain lines which 10 him briefly express
the power, beauty, and balance Of
growth. Three, five, seven, nine or more
odd in thunderstorm the
hasis of floral compositions, and these,
in most cases, ramify from a common
point Of origin below. The surface of
nically supposed to represent the soil
from which the floral design springs: ana,
as IL is. before all, necessary TO impart
an appearance of vitality to the COM
position. the firm and powerful treat
ruent of the united lines OF origin Is Of
great Importance The central line (the
principal Of a composition must rise
vertically at its base, and in the most
ancient form OF the art-the Rikkwa-it
was often kept perpendicular throughout
its length. A deviation in the contour
Of the central line not merely adds to
the grace and interest. but enables q
perfect balance and repose to be OBJ
tGined by the addition Of lateral lines,
eech OF a different character. A va
riety OF curves are impaired 10 this CEN
tral line, but its upper extremity general
ly returns 10 q point exactly vertical over
It's base. There yet remains TO be named
the secondary and tertiary lines which
complete the form Of the simpler ar
though In more elaborate
sc hemes many lines are added.