Life still in dry branches
<”Noh no Ikebana” is an art of arranging agricultural products together with agricultural implements and other familiar instruments. It’s a type of Ikebana but mainly for farmers. The series “Noh no Ikebana” will show you how to best feature the materials and containers you choose, with the help of fans of this style of Ikebana nationwide.>
Containers for No no Ikebana are agricultural implements and everyday tools. They are as important as materials, so let’s pay attentions when selecting your containers.
Terue Kishimoto, Okayama-shi, Okayama Prefecture
Low and shallow containers are easy to handle. You can just put vegetables and flowers nicely on them and you are basically done with the arrangement. Therefore they are most suitable for beginners or those who want to enjoy Noh no Ikebana regularly at home.
Round plates, trays and baskets will look nice with main materials placed in the middle and others on the right and left sides symmetrically. In square containers, please place the materials on one corner or two diagonal corners to make your arrangement dynamic.
Just piling up vegetables in the shallow containers will often make your arrangement too simple. The use of tall materials like spring onions secured on kenzan pinholders or vines and leaves is recommended to expand your arrangement vertically and horizontally. Your goal is to give the arrangement a fan shape. But make sure not to hide the containers by piling up too many materials and remember that you are to keep a good balance.
Summer vegetables and dead branches of broccoli in this arrangement express strong sunshine and the strength of agricultural products in the mid summer in Japan. The branches are placed to give broadness and the leeks are added to give height. The large arrangement in the middle is highlighted by lower ones in a bamboo basket and square lacquer-coated trays on the both sides.
＜Container＞
Large plate, bamboo basket, and square boxes
＜Materials＞
Giant green peppers, dead branch of broccoli, leeks, green beans, oriental melons, and nigauri (bitter gourds)
＜Profile＞
Terue Kishimoto, 83, began No no Ikebana in 1977. Used to be a facilitator for No no Ikebana Club in Okayama.