JAPANESE & ART Flower Arrangement (3rd of 4 installments) “Hanadome” Natural Color Provides Mental Comfort By Yoko KASAI

expressed with phrases like warm-feeling, the beauty of nature, it was important to cool-feeling and reposing, changing with match the coloration of clothing with that of seasonal variations and natural things. The natural objects. When wearing such phrase “natural color” is usually used to kasaneirome costume in each season, they describe some mild warm color of medium showed gradation of lightness and darkness intensity and medium value. The influence of using the value and intensity of color. natural color has been demonstrated by Gradation is rhythm that was born in Asia. At Japanese poetry such as waka and haiku. The Horyuji temple built in the 7th century, we can use of branches and coloration that convey see a primitive technique of gradation on its the impressions of nature in flower wall . The sense of the season found arrangement have been matched with one’s in kasaneirome also represented the world of own feelings. Particularly the color lyrical beauty. Combination of blue and white combination of flowers and grasses provides was called kasaneirome of unohana or a kind the feeling of nature. Nature is not an of deutzia that represents the early summer Nature in Hanadome existence in opposite direction to human season, and hototogisu or a little cuckoo beings, but it coexists with us. That is why the staying on unohana is often referred to in the Japanese culture is always linked with beauty of nature provides us mental comfort. famed Japanese waka anthology Kokinshu. nature. In any age, culture has been In Europe, colors are used differently from nurtured by nature. The beauty of nature is Why Are People Attracted by . In “The Red and the Black” written by visually introduced by color. Hanadome? Stendhal in the 19th century, red is said to represent republicanism and black the world Japanese Color Sense It is because Hanadome provides natural of Christianity. Thus the sense of color in color combination, or nature itself, where the Europe, where Christianity is a dominant Color is a major element of design that is individual character of each flower is religion, is fundamentally different from that applicable to Hanadome arrangement. represented in a natural way. of Japanese culture that respects nature. Affection for color varies according to Beauty in natural color was already found in cultural backgrounds. In Japan, for example, court ladies’ clothes of the Heian era in the 9th Cultural Tradition in Coloration a combination of red and white is regarded to 12th centuries and in the costume of as a blessing color. On the contrary, in the beauties depicted in Ukiyoe Japanese Traditionally in Japan, people regard it world of Christianity, the combination means woodblock prints of Kitagawa Utamaro in the well refined to act conservatively, while blood and death. It is often said that the late Edo era (1603-1867). Aesthetic feelings flashy semblance is seen as indelicate. Such preference for color in one country is not in the Heian era included the sense of beautiful a disposition to respect simple turnout for always favored in another country. The coloration sensitive to the four seasons, and it maintaining one’s dignity was set up by preference for color also varies with changes was reflected in daily life by adopting proper society during the Kamakura era in ages. It is affected by physiological or colors in costume. The word Photo: The Museum Yamatobunkakan (owner of the scroll) mental actions, and it is said that it is kasaneirome or layering of connected with our mental structures. clothing of different colors is In Japan, emotion to nature determines the an expression to deliver combination of colors. Hue, value and impressions of natural intensity are known as the three dimensions of grasses and flowers. In those color, which are commonly expressed in days people of high society words such as deep/dilute, light/dark, expressed the color of the flashy/humble, etc. In Japan, names of colors season by showing various are expressed by natural objects, i.e. cherry colors of layered clothes on rose, wisteria violet, nightingale-colored, the collar or hem. For prune brown, madder red, etc. Colors are also expressing emotion toward

Clothing in Heian era: Portrait of the poetess Kodai-no-kimi depicted on a fragment of “The Thirty-six Poets and Poetesses” 36 JAPAN SPOTLIGHT • July / August 2008 scroll (Important Cultural Property) Image: TNM Image Archives Source: http://TnmArchives.jp/

JAPANESE CRAFT & ART

townspeople was introduced. Iki was influence of other cultures from abroad. principally represented by applying Lately a variety of cut flowers are imported conservative colors such as brown, gray or from various countries along with the spread indigo blue with a limited amount of bright of the Western-style arrangement. Western color. As found in Ukiyoe, the coloration flowers definitely take an important role in therein is grave. To depict iki appearance, natural design. Even if some flowers of thin simple patterns or stripes of some tones of stems might not be used for arrangement golden brown, whitish brown, dark brown, with kenzan or oasis, they take an integral light gray, cherish gray or iron blue colors position to construct Hanadome design were applied. The sensitive aesthetic because of their colors and lines. conception of iki founded a starting point of The beauty of flowers contains the design in the country that has been taken over mystery of nature. Regardless of ages and up to date. The culture of iki is also developed places, flowers present comfort to people. in tea ceremony together with the senses of Though the colors of natural flowers are dull wabi and sabi, which respect simplicity and and mediocre in comparison with artificially quietness to sublime a well-seasoned feeling. colored flowers, nobody would choose to Clothing in Edo era: One of Kitagawa Utamaro’s Ukiyoe titled “Fragrances of flowers” While European flower arrangement places ignore the splendor of natural color on the (possessed by National Museum) a greater importance on color, its traditional first glance of some burning red flowers. It Japanese counterpart values the contrast of is because natural color has a shading that (1192-1333) after the aristocratic society of entity and empty rather than the gaiety of provides a variety of tones. Such a delicacy the Heian era lasting nearly four centuries. flowers. Lines of branches take the initial role is its fundamental character different from Coupled with the influence of zen of arrangement, putting a few colorful flowers artificial products. featuring simplicity, the art to draw in some auxiliary position. Therein the sense Hanadome applies different coloration in suibokuga, or black-and-white ink painting, of iki is applied. Iki was a technical method accordance with themes of arrangement. became popular at that time. The fading inimitably created by new-rich townsmen in When designing as an interior item, gray color of suibokuga indeed depicts hazy the Edo era when the national seclusion policy arrangement corresponds to the colors and mountains and forests far away. was enforced by the shogunate government. lines of furniture. At a Treschic Interior After the Azuchi-Momoyama era (1550- Flowers produced in Japan mostly have Flowers exhibition introducing Hanadome 1600), influenced by newly introduced somewhat lower color saturation and under the theme of ladies of “The Tale of Western culture, persons in power tended to luminosity than those of Europe where the Genji,” arrangement was performed to show their authority by applying gold or climate is dry. In a sense, Japanese flowers express ladies’ melancholy, delight and or bold colors. The shogunate of the are tender to human eyes like rainbow jealousy by the colors of flowers and lines of Ashikaga family built Kinkakuji, the golden colors. When arranging flowers, people pay stems and branches. pavilion, and Ginkakuji, the silver pavilion, in less attention to the colors of each flower, In the world of design, red, orange and . Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who was in the but take more consideration on coloration yellow are interpreted as expanding colors, position of kampaku, chief adviser to the brought about from natural space and the while green, blue and violet are categorized in emperor, introduced a pure gold tea house. lines of design. This concept has been constricting colors. Red color is used to Another instance is Toshogu Shrine in cultivated by the natural climate and inspire people and yellow to call in luck. In Nikko, north of Tokyo, dedicated to tycoon historical background over the years. In the Europe, red signifies love and passion, white Tokugawa Ieyasu. Those constructions are Edo era, downtown residents, though poor, denotes innocence or cleanness, and yellow typical examples of flaunting authority still got the pleasure of potted plants placed symbolizes amulet. They say European floral adopted by paramount leaders. in front of the gate. Such a tradition has language has come from the colors of In the early part of the Edo era (in the been kept to date. In downtown Tokyo, you flowers. The preference for color varies beginning of the 17th century), a new will find similar scenery along narrow lanes according to countries because of their aesthetic sense called date (nifty, tony) surrounded by modern buildings. The different cultural backgrounds. In Japan, became popular. In those days people liked to Occidental feeling of color was introduced to people like pastel color for its light soft tone use florid and way-out objects. In the latter Japanese flower arrangement after the resembling natural self-color. Hanadome part of the era (the 19th century), the sense of Second World War. Although Japanese design as well makes consideration of natural date got eclipsed and another aesthetic culture is unique and inimitable, it has been color, the size of flowers, texture, lines and conception of iki (chic, cool) strutted by Edo cultivated for a long period of time under the space to make them well harmonized.

Yoko Kasai is CEO of Treschic Interior Flowers. A graduate of Hokusei Gakuen Women’s Junior College, she worked with Lufthansa German Airlines. She studied interior design at Anchorage Community College as well as at Alaska Pacific University in the United States, and is a member of the Garden Club. In 2006 she published a book titled “Hanadome.”

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