Celebrating the Chrysanthemum Festival (Kiku Matsuri)
Ikebana International (Portland Chapter 47) celebrates the chrysanthemum in this special two-day only exhibition. Ikebana International Chrysanthemum show was first celebrated Kiku Matsuri at Portland Japanese Garden in 1983. Local ikebana artists from various schools, or styles, will create arrangements featuring chrysanthemums, known as kiku in Japanese.
Kiku Matsuri, or Choyo no Sekku, observed in Japan on September 9, is the final of the five seasonal Go-Sekku festivals in Japan’s traditional lunar calendar. Chrysanthemums symbolize longevity, dignity, and nobility. A 16-petaled chrysanthemum even appears on the imperial family crest. Since being introduced from China in the 8th century, the flower has been cultivated in Japan.
Ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging, has been translated as “living flowers” or “giving life to flowers,” and is unique from other approaches to flower arrangement. In ikebana, asymmetry and the use of empty space are essential features of the overall composition. A sense of harmony among the materials, the container, and the setting is also crucial.
Ikebana and many other Japanese arts share similar goals with Japanese garden design, where the physical manifestations are the product of careful mastery of time-honored processes. With mastery of these processes comes the understanding and appreciation of the human endeavor.
Ikebana International is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the promotion and appreciation of ikebana. Ikebana International does not teach any single type of ikebana. Rather, it is an interest group made up of people of many nationalities who enjoy ikebana and other arts of Japan.
Participating Schools (alphabetical order):
- Ichiyo (一葉式)
- Ikenobo (池坊)
- Ohara (小原流)
- Ryuseiha (龍生派)
- Saga Goryu (嵯峨御流)
- Sogetsu (草月)
