Flowers greet visitors with grace at Ikebana show at Sherman Library & Gardens

Branches bent, but they did not break at Sherman Library and Gardens’ Ikebana show this weekend in Corona del Mar.

Ikebana is the Japanese art of floral arrangement that utilizes flowers, branches and leaves to evoke a minimalist sense of balance and form. On display last weekend was the work of the Sangetsu School of Ikebana, which was founded in 1972 by Mokichi Okada.

According to the school’s website, the style prioritizes five main points in addition to following the natural growth of branches and flowers used: arrange flowers naturally; arrange flowers quickly; arrange flowers as if you were painting a picture; arrange flowers in harmony and arrange flowers with joy.

The gardens held two events over the weekend that taught visitors how to make their own miniature arrangements and the history of the art form, which originated sometime in the sixth century with the introduction of Buddhism to Japan by Chinese missionaries.

Guests make their own small Ikebana arrangement during the “Joyful Flowers: Ikebana Show” at the Sherman Library and Gardens in Newport Beach, on Saturday.

(James Carbone)

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