http://theworldofdriedflowers.com Just another WordPress weblog Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:21:57 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Moribana is similar to the Rikka and Shoka styles of Ikebana in its emphasis on the natural growth and beauty of flowers but shares the informal characteristic of Nagiere in its simple “piled up flowers” philosophy. Moribana emerged during the Meiji Restoration of 1868 and incorporated the western philosophy of ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/moribana.html Nagiere emerged as a form of ikebana that was opposed to the rigid formalism of Rikka. With the development of Zen Buddhism and the tea ceremony Nagiere developed as a simple way of arranging flowers spontaneously as if to “throw in” flowers in a vase. As this style of ikebana ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/nagiere-a-simpler-form-of-ikebana.html Shoka ikebana looks simple enough but is one of the most difficult to create. It emerged in the 18th century under Senjo Ikenobo and simplified some of the principles of traditional Rikka. It became very popular among the rising merchant class who preferred this simple arrangement to adorn their homes. ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/the-shoka-form-of-ikebana.html Rikka was the earliest style of arranging flowers in traditional Japanese Ikebana. It had its roots in the Muromachi period, and is said to be the basis of the Shoka, Moribana and Nageire style of floral arrangements. The word Rikka means “standing flowers” and therefore it typically consisted of stems ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/rikka-the-earliest-form-of-ikebana.html The flower is the poetry of reproduction. It is an example of the eternal seductiveness of life. ~Jean Giraudoux It is perhaps the essence of this quote that we all feel inside when we see flowers. Flowers represent the beauty of all nature, and more so the beauty of ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/the-history-of-ikebana.html The English colonists who settled in America ignored floral arrangements for a long time till they could establish a life of sophistication and culture. Only then did they seriously take up the art of floral arrangements. The Colonial Williamsburg style combined the styles used in Louis V’s court and the ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/american-designs-in-floral-arrangements.html The European Renaissance revitalized all art, and with them, the art of floral decoration. Most arrangements of this time were large, tall, symmetrical and conical in shape. A large mass of flowers were arranged carefully so as to make them look uncrowded, and heavy and tall containers were preferred. It ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/european-influences-on-floral-arrangements.html The Egyptian royals made extensive use of flowers in their lives. Roses, poppies, violets, lotus, water lilies and other plants were used both fresh and dried and made into arrangements with stem support. The lotus blossom was especially important as a mourning tribute as it was the sacred flower of ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/floral-arrangements-in-classical-periods.html The Chinese were the first ones to put flowers in water, instead of simply making garlands or braiding them. Considering it irreverent to place flowers carelessly before the Buddha, Chinese priests began arranging them into symbolic representations in bronze ceremonial vases. They even mastered the art of drying flowers and ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/oriental-philosophy-of-floral-arrangements.html Flowers have been admired for their beauty and used as a means of personal expression throughout the history of mankind. The first probable usage of flowers was seen in the Paleolithic Age in burial sites. There have been evidences of a vast cluster of pollen of local plant species at ... http://theworldofdriedflowers.com/a-brief-history-of-floral-arrangements.html