We all know Ikebana , the Japanese flower arranging art, originates from Japan. Hence, the terms used in Ikebana comes from Japanese words.
Almost all the time, we come across Ikebana related words and have no idea what they mean. Here, I’ve compiled some frequently used words and briefly explained their meaning.
Hope it provides a good reference for you to enhance your knowledge in Ikebana.
Ikebana – ‘Ike’ means live, and ‘bana’ means flower, which translates into lively flowers. It is the art of Japanese flower arrangement. Its most significant feature is the combination of materials in its most natural state to show harmony.
Moribana – It is one of the basic styles of Ikebana. It usually uses a shallow container and a kenzan for flower insertion. Two basic moribana styles are known, the upright style and slanting style.
Nageire – Another basic style of Ikebana. It uses a tall container and needs special techniques to make the arrangement. Also with two basic style, the upright style and the slanting style.
Kakeizu – A diagram showing the position and angle of flowers and foliage in an Ikebana arrangement.
Kenzan – Only used in moribana arrangements, it is a piece of metal with pointy needles. It is used to insert flower materials and to hold them in place. It is placed in a suiban, and the position is fixed, depending on the moribana style.
Suiban – A suiban is a shallow container, used in moribana arrangements.
Shin – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Shin is the longest.
Soe – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Soe is the second longest.
Hikae – One of the three main stems in an Ikebana arrangement. Hikae is the shortest.
Shushi – The three main stems are called Shushi. They represent the height, width and depth of an ikebana arrangement.
Juushi – The supporting stems of the main stems are called juushi. Each main stem has its own supporting stem, although not necessarily the case, depends on how strong the main stem is. They should not be longer than their respective master.
Jumonji-dome – A technique used in nageire, to hold the flowers in place by making a cross using sturdy branches at the mouth of the vase. Also known as cross-bar fixture.
Jika-dome – A technique used in nageire, a method to insert the flowers into the vase by cutting the end of the stem so that it leans on the inside wall of the container. Also known as direct fixing.
Soegi-dome – A technique used in nageire, to hold the flowers in place by providing extra length to the flower material by splitting the end of the stem into 2.
