Ikebana

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Ikebana is the art of Japanese flower arranging. Ikebana, one of the traditional arts of Japan, has been practiced for more than 600 years. It developed from the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to the spirits of the dead. By the middle of the fifteenth century, with the emergence of the first classical styles, ikebana achieved the status of an art form independent of its religious origins, though it continued to retain strong symbolic and philosophical overtones. The first teachers and students were priests and members of the nobility. However, as time passed, many different schools arose, styles changed, and ikebana came to be practiced at all levels of Japanese society.

Joe first became interested in June, 1994, after seeing an exhibit at Franklin Park Conservatory presented by Ikebana International Chapter 84.

Ikebana International is a worldwide organization composed of about 10,000 members who love ikebana and other aspects of Japanese culture. Through their motto, "friendship through flowers", they hope to increase peace and mutual understanding throughout the world by sharing their interest in ikebana. Chapter 84 is located in Columbus, OH.

Each chapter of Ikebana International offers members and guests lessons on Japanese flower arranging. There are many different styles of arrangement. Each style is known as a "school." In Columbus, we have teachers, known as "masters," in three schools:

	Ikenobo
	Ohara
	Sogetsu