Window Into Japan

火曜日, 5月 02, 2006

Origami and Ikebana

Origami ->

As for the word itself, oru means "to fold", and kami means "paper". Origami is the art of folding paper. Glue or scissors are usually not used. It is believed that paper was first made, and folded, in China in the first or second century. The earliest records of origami in Japan date to the Heian Period (794-1185). It was during this period that Japan's nobility had its golden age and it was a time of great artistic and cultural advances. Paper was still a rare enough comodity that origami was a pastime for the elite. Paper was folded into set shapes for ceremonial occasions such as weddings. Serrated strips of white paper were used to mark sacred objects, a custom which can still be seen in every shrine to this day.

One of the most famous origami designs is the Japanese crane "Tsuru". The crane is auspicious in Japanese culture, which has developed into a worldwide symbol of children's desire for peace.. Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds.

In the mid-1950s, 11-year old Sasaki Sadako developed leukemia as a result of her exposure to radiation as a baby during the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Tradition held that if you made a senbazuru (a thousand paper cranes) and made a wish after completing each one, your wish would come true. Sadako set about making the tsuru, wishing for her own recovery. But as she continued, she began to wish instead for world peace. She died when she had made only 644 and her school friends completed the full number and dedicated them to her at her funeral. The story helped inspire the Children's Peace Memorial in Hiroshima and a statue of Sadako in Seattle. Each year on Peace Day (August 6th), thousands of origami tsuru are sent to Hiroshima by chidren all over the world.


Ikebana ->

Ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement. Ikebana is more than simply putting flowers in a container. It is a disciplined art form in which the arrangement is a living thing in which nature and humanity are brought together. It is steeped in the philosophy of developing a closeness with nature.

Ikebana developed in the 16th century. Traditional Ikebana is called Kado.There are many different schools of traditional Ikebana. In addition, modern styles of Ikebana (avant-garde Ikebana) have evolved. Some of these styles use glass, iron, and other materials instead of flowers.

As is true of all other arts, Ikebana is creative expression within certain rules of construction. Its materials are living branches, leaves, grasses, and blossoms. Its heart is the beauty resulting from color combinations, natural shapes, graceful lines, and the meaning latent in the total form of the arrangement. Ikebana is, therefore, much more than mere floral decoration.

Many practitioners of Ikebana feel that the spiritual aspect of Ikebana is very important. One becomes quiet when one practices Ikebana. It helps you to live "in the moment" and to appreciate things in nature that previously had seemed insignificant. One becomes more patient and tolerant of differences, not only in nature, but more generally in other people. Ikebana can inspire you to identify with beauty in all art forms -- painting, music, etc., and to always expect the best in yourself.

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