Jasper County Democrat, Volume 7, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 February 1905 — Japanese Flower Arrangement. [ARTICLE]

Japanese Flower Arrangement.

The general ideas of Japanese floral arrangements may be summarized In this way: Each setting of flowers must represent earth, air and water, or heaven, earth and man. In placing blossoms In a vase the vase and water are earth, the short stemmed flowers man and the tall ones heaven. The ramifications of this principle—the delicate, subtle meanings and properties —are Infinite. There are flowers which represent months and flowers which represent days, and as every Japanese house contains flowers they form a calendar for the initiated. Every family of standing has artistically correct vases, vase holders and flowers, and the manner of entertaining an honored visitor is to ask him to arrange some flowers. The guest is governed by rigid laws. He must not make too elaborate an arrangement, for that takes overmuch time. lie always offers to destroy what he has done to prove he considers It valueless. Only when he is urged by his host does he leave it. These are examples of the long list of restrictions. The Japanese knows them as he knows his language and his literature.—Harper’s Bazar.