What is ikebana?

Ikebana is a centuries-old art of flower decoration in Japan. Ikebana means “to make flowers live“. In Japanese flower arrangement, the natural beauty of flowers and branches is emphasized conspicuously, in such a way that its beauty appears entirely in its simplicity.

A basic style of ikebana arrangement consists of three main lines which symbolize sky, human-being and earth respectively, and from these basic arrangements, ikebana can be further worked out in a modern, free style, where you may use a wide range of materials, not only flowers and branches from the nature, but also  roots, metal, feathers, plastic, etc. Arrangements hereby express the personal ideas of each person who developed it.

Furthermore, an ikebana-arrangement should reflect harmony, so the form and color of flower vases used also have a significant importance in ikebana.