A richly detailed narrative of the past four hundred years of Japanese history. Introduces the foundations of modern Japanese history and culture and uncovers the remarkable strands of continuity in Japanese society. If you are serious about Japan, this is your book.
MeijiShowa
License all the photos on this site at our boutique photo agency for vintage photographs, illustrations and maps of Japan between the 1860s and 1930s (Meiji, Taisho, early Showa)
Two women in kimono are practicing Ikebana (traditional Japanese flower arrangement). The woman on the left is making an arrangement in a square vase, while the other woman is using a round one. Flowers yet to be arranged are kept on a tray, while a pot with water is kept near the knees of the woman on the right.
Especially during the Meiji (1868-1912) and Taisho (1912-1926) periods, many urban young women practiced Ikebana to make themselves more desirable brides-to-be, a custom that could still be observed until quite recently. But this wonderful art of flower arrangement reaches back much further in history.
It has been practiced for more than 600 years and originated in the Buddhist ritual of offering flowers to Buddha. Buddhism was introduced into Japan during the 6th century. While in Buddhism’s birthplace, India, petals were strewn or flowers were placed casually, Japanese Buddhist priests developed ways to present their altar offerings in containers.
The oldest school of Ikebana is Ikenobo (池坊), which traces its origins to a buddhist priest of the Rokkakudo Temple (六角堂) in Kyoto. He was especially skilled in arranging flowers for altars and taught many other priests.
At first, Ikebana was only practiced by priests and members of the nobility, but by the late 15th century it had evolved enough to be appreciated by ordinary people.
Over the years many schools were born, all with their own fixed styles. This naturally gave birth to a large number of texts. The oldest extant manuscript is the Kao Irai no Kadensho (花王以来の花伝書) and dates from 1486.1
Kao Irai no Kadensho (花王以来の花伝書)
1 池坊。初期のいけばな。Retrieved on 2008/06/26.
2 Ikebana International (I.I.) is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of ikebana.
Duits, K. (2008, June 27). 1890s Women Practicing Ikebana, Old Photos of Japan. Retrieved on 2021, Jan 25 from https://www.oldphotosjapan.com/photos/279/ikebana
@Jim Clinefelter Thanks for all the information, Jim, and apologies for the extremely slow response …
Hello Kjeld, The other Kajima photo that appears in the Brinkley set is “Teaching Songs,” which …
Thank you for the background information, Jim. I wasn’t aware that this was a photo …
Hello, This image was taken at Kajima Seibei’s Genrokukan Studio in Tokyo about 1895/96. The woman …
Translation of the above: I am a young man from Damascus, Syria, and have heard …