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made and published for the edification of amateurs。 The amount of
literature on the subject is quite voluminous。 When the flower fades； the
master tenderly consigns it to the river or carefully buries it in the ground。
Monuments are sometimes erected to their memory。
The birth of the Art of Flower Arrangement seems to be
simultaneous with that of Teaism in the fifteenth century。 Our legends
ascribe the first flower arrangement to those early Buddhist saints who
gathered the flowers strewn by the storm and； in their infinite solicitude
for all living things； placed them in vessels of water。 It is said that Soami；
the great painter and connoisseur of the court of Ashikaga… Yoshimasa；
was one of the earliest adepts at it。 Juko； the tea…master； was one of his
pupils； as was also Senno； the founder of the house of Ikenobo； a family as
illustrious in the annals of flowers as was that of the Kanos in painting。
With the perfecting of the tea…ritual under Rikiu； in the latter part of the
sixteenth century； flower arrangement also attains its full growth。 Rikiu
and his successors； the celebrated Ota… wuraka； Furuka…Oribe； Koyetsu；
Kobori…Enshiu； Katagiri… Sekishiu； vied with each other in forming new
combinations。 We must remember； however； that the flower…worship of the
tea…masters formed only a part of their aesthetic ritual； and was not a
distinct religion by itself。 A flower arrangement； like the other works of
art in the tea…room； was subordinated to the total scheme of decoration。
Thus Sekishiu ordained that white plum blossoms should not be made use
of when snow lay in the garden。 〃Noisy〃 flowers were relentlessly
banished from the tea…room。 A flower arrangement by a tea…master loses
its significance if removed from the place for which it was originally
intended； for its lines and proportions have been specially worked out with
a view to its surroundings。
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The adoration of the flower for its own sake begins with the rise of
〃Flower…Masters；〃 toward the middle of the seventeenth century。 It now
becomes independent of the tea…room and knows no law save that the vase
imposes on it。 New conceptions and methods of execution now become
possible； and many were the principles and schools resulting therefrom。
A writer in the middle of the last century said he could count over one
hundred different schools of flower arrangement。 Broadly speaking；
these divide themselves into two main branches； the Formalistic and the
Naturalesque。 The Formalistic schools； led by the Ikenobos； aimed at a
classic idealism corresponding to that of the Kano…academicians。 We
possess records of arrangements by the early masters of the school which
almost reproduce the flower paintings of Sansetsu and Tsunenobu。 The
Naturalesque school； on the other hand； accepted nature as its model； only
imposing such modifications of form as conduced to the expression of
artistic unity。 Thus we recognise in its works the same impulses which
formed the Ukiyoe and Shijo schools of painting。
It would be interesting； had we time； to enter more fully than it is now
possible into the laws of composition and detail formulated by the various
flower…masters of this period； showing； as they would； the fundamental
theories which governed Tokugawa decoration。 We find them referring to
the Leading Principle （Heaven）； the Subordinate Principle （Earth）； the
Reconciling Principle （Man）； and any flower arrangement which did not
embody these principles was considered barren and dead。 They also
dwelt much on the importance of treating a flower in its three different
aspects； the Formal； the Semi…Formal； and the Informal。 The first
might be said to represent flowers in the stately costume of the ballroom；
the second in the easy elegance of afternoon dress； the third in the
charming deshabille of the boudoir。
Our personal sympathies are with the flower…arrangements of the tea…
master rather than with those of the flower…master。 The former is art in
its proper setting and appeals to us on account of its true intimacy with life。
We should like to call this school the Natural in contradistinction to the
Naturalesque and Formalistic schools。 The tea…master deems his duty
ended with the selection of the flowers； and leaves them to tell their own
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story。 Entering a tea…room in late winter； you may see a slender spray of
wild cherries in combination with a budding camellia； it is an echo of
departing winter coupled with the prophecy of spring。 Again； if you go
into a noon…tea on some irritatingly hot summer day； you may discover in
the darkened coolness of the tokonoma a single lily in a hanging vase；
dripping with dew； it seems to smile at the foolishness of life。
A solo of flowers is interesting； but in a concerto with painting and
sculpture the combination becomes entrancing。 Sekishiu once placed
some water…plants in a flat receptacle to suggest the vegetation of lakes
and marshes； and on the wall above he hung a painting by Soami of wild
ducks flying in the air。 Shoha； another tea…master； combined a poem on
the Beauty of Solitude by the Sea with a bronze incense burner in the form
of a fisherman's hut and some wild flowers of the beach。 One of the
guests has recorded that he felt in the whole composition the breath of
waning autumn。
Flower stories are endless。 We shall recount but one more。 In the
sixteenth century the morning…glory was as yet a rare plant with us。
Rikiu had an entire garden planted with it； which he cultivated with
assiduous care。 The fame of his convulvuli reached the ear of the Taiko；
and he expressed a desire to see them； in consequence of which Rikiu
invited him to a morning tea at his house。 On the appointed day Taiko
walked through the garden； but nowhere could he see any vestige of the
convulvus。 The ground had been leveled and strewn with fine pebbles and
sand。 With sullen anger the despot entered the tea…room； but a sight waited
him there which completely restored his humour。 On the tokonoma； in a
rare bronze of Sung workmanship； lay a single morning…glorythe queen
of the whole garden！
In such instances we see the full significance of the Flower Sacrifice。
Perhaps the flowers appreciate the full significance of it。 They are not
cowards； like men。 Some flowers glory in deathcertainly the Japanese
cherry blossoms do； as they freely surrender themselves to the winds。
Anyone who has stood before the fragrant avalanche at Yoshino or
Arashiyama must have realized this。 For a moment they hover like
bejewelled clouds and dance above the crystal streams； then； as they sail
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away on the laughing waters； they seem to say： 〃Farewell； O Spring！ We
are on to eternity。〃
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VII。 Tea…Masters
In religion the Future is behind us。 In art the present is the eternal。
The tea…masters held that real appreciation of art is only possible to those
who make of it a living influence。 Thus they sought to regulate their
daily life by the high standard of refinement which obtained in the tea…
room。 In all circumstances serenity of mind should be maintained； and
conver