Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #434086 in Books
• Published on: 1999-04-22
• Original language: German
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Synopsis
Gustie Herrigel describes the underlying Zen symbolism in the Japanese art of flower arranging, ikebana. The act of training in ikebana is a process of achieving spiritual enlightenment; the craft of arranging flowers is a form of meditation. Gustie Herrigel's account of her education in ikebana and her gradual understanding of its underlying symbolism is a story of great charm. She teaches the reader the disciplined but artfully natural style of flower arrangement, while providing a perceptive introduction to Zen.

Customer Reviews

A Disappointment
Physical description:
A small book of 124 pages, paperback with black and white illustrations. (With less white space at the bottom of the pages it could have been rather less than 124..)

Contents:
Reading the description of the book led me to expect a more informative tome. It does indeed tell about the lady's learning of Ikebana in Japan, about the background to Ikebana, but it's all very brief, and tells us many times of the contemplative nature of 'ancient' Japanese way of life and this art form. I guess, if you are to take up the art, this may help you develop your own, suitable environment.

There are a few examples of the symbolism of plants (well perhaps there are in reality only a few, after all) and some ideas of colour, but the black and white illustrations in the main float free of the text and are not referred to.
Most of us are already aware of this contemplative nature and completeness with the universe etc., but there was no guidance to the thought processes behind these illustrations, no hint perhaps of who / how / why they may have been done, how they felt...

As a (brief) description of the author's genuine absorption and passion for the art you may enjoy this book. You may indeed go on to take a further interest in the subject, but I suspect you will have to look elsewhere for help and inspiration to keep you going.

As a painter, my interest in buying the book was to try to understand more of this art form to help bring a more 'spiritual' aspect to my work. In a sense it does succeed, but only by reminding me of the basic principles which I suspect are not exactly difficult to find elsewhere. It does not provide the link I was looking for between the various arrangments why. Perhaps I was expecting too much?

Having come across a far more informative book many years ago and foolishly not buying it, this small book is a desperate disappointment.
It is absolutely certain that, had there been chance to look through it beforehand, I would not have bought it considering it be merely an overgrown pamphlet both in style and content.

But, your needs and mine may differ.....