Korean flower arrangement is being revived as an indoor art, and most often uses simple Joseon dynasty whiteware to highlight various kinds of Korean flowers and tree branches in elegant but unforced natural arrangements. Im Wha-Kong of Ewha Woman’s University in Seoul, who also produces her own ceramic wares, is the greatest living exponent of this art, and hosts quarterly displays of flower arrangements keeping this tradition alive. There are at least a dozen schools of traditional flower arrangements.
Introduction
Formal flower arrangements were closely allied to the development of the Korean tea ceremony, and suggestions have been made that these were often corner-of-the-room arrangements on small tables using a central vessel with most often a small branch and a small group of local flowers. Sprigs of pear blossoms were particularly well known, and during the winters ever-green sprigs that would have enhanced celadonware, or given a cool elegance to whiteware. Leaves, blossoms, ferns, and grasses were also used.
Arrangements were primarily done by women in tea-houses, and in the greater houses, Confucian male masters may have done this as well.
History
There is no exact date for the origination of this floral art, and it was not documented before the 14th century as a distinct art. Votive altar arrangements of flowers for Buddhist temples were and are always profuse, they were precursors. But it was under Confucian hands, in Joseon Yi dynasty times, that arrangements can be said definitely to have begun and were known, and included in numerous illustrations by artists of that time.
For more information, please refer to Wikipedia
Copyright (c) 2007 Mike Cherng. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.2 or any later version published by the Free Software Foundation;
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Filed under: Arrangements, Gift Ideas
