San Diego Chapter #119, USA

General Meeting / Ikebana Demonstration
After the Business Meeting including approval of the minutes, announcement of membership, presentation of honorary membership to Jeff Fine, and details of the forthcoming meetings, the demonstrations by Grand Master Akiko Bourland of the Ohara School and Kimono Dressing Demonstration were given. Akiko Bourland has taught ikebana for over fifty years, and is Founder-Advisor of the San Diego Wabi Chapter of the Ohara School. She has won many awards, including the highly prestigious Japanese Order of the Rising Sun presented by the Emperor of Japan.

Sensei Bourland’s first arrangement of the Hana Isho Radial Form involved sago palm branches extending from both sides of a black suiban, highlighted by dark red gerbera daisies as her central object group and baby breath as contrasting filler. Her second, more complex heika arrangement used a tall, thin, black vase composed of a variety of ceramic circles intriguingly constructed on a balanced curve. Her final, most advanced demonstration was in the Rimpa style which was inspired by Rimpa paintings, and therefore more two-dimensional than most other forms.

Kimono Dressing Demonstration
Five members of The San Diego Kimono Club first demonstrated homongi the “visiting kimono” which is for formal or semi-formal occasions. With an on-going narrative from Chris Gilpin, the model dressed herself with the greatest care in front of a full-length mirror, revealing the precise nature of the process where every fold must be exact. Several ways of tying the obi were shown, from traditional to more modern, casual styles, when accomplished professional dressers were hard to find.

Two other styles of kimono were also modeled. The very dressy furisode which is traditionally worn for a coming-of-age ceremony, and is accessorized with particular obi knots, hair decorations and other special features. The simpler kuro-tomasode worn by married women is black with a family crest and decoration around the hem.