San Diego Chapter #119, USA

Ikebana Demonstration, “Celebrating the Year of the Dragon.”
Presentation of the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Chado, in detail

The initial presentation on display by Jackie Zhang, sensei of the Sakura Chapter of the Ohara School, was a traditional Rising Form with three pussy willow branches as the line material combined with two pink roses, a couple of rose hips and leaves.

Her first demonstrated arrangement presented the Hana Kanade style, the new unique creation of Hiroki Ohara offered as his signature piece on assuming the headmaster post. With three major branches set around the diameter of the container in a triangle, each stem crosses each other from two to three times, and the tips of the branches again form a triangle. At the base of each stem, small arrangements of short flowers and leaves cover the kenzans. Jackie chose two cherry blossom leafy branches and one pussy willow for the three major stems, and the decorative lower arrangements included roses, rose hips and leather fern.

Her second arrangement was Radial Form composed with spirea, freesia, roses, chamomile and leather fern, set in a tall glass container.

Her third arrangement featured a heavy, gnarled branch set upon a heavy, tall dark container. This very modern free expression creation echoed the shape of a dragon, with the red leaves of a complete blushing bromeliad plant representing the dragon’s fire. This complex arrangement included a long, trailing asparagus plumosa fern wrapping across and around the piece.

Following the Ikebana demonstration, a three-person team demonstrated the Japanese Tea Ceremony, Chado. Following the ceremony, the demonstrator explained flowers were important in the ceremony, stressing that, unlike ikebana, short-lived flowers that faded quickly were preferred, and that certain flowers were considered inappropriate, especially long-lived ones which would last long beyond the ceremony.