My 'Nageire'
ONCE I thought that art, which is too realistic in the Occident and so idealistic in the Orient, emphasized the truth of Kipling’s ‘East is East and West is West, and never the twain shall meet.’ Since earliest times Western art has been realistic and of conventional form, while that of the East has been symbolic of idealism with naturalistic form. For example — flower arrangement in the Western world has insisted upon being rich, colorful, and symmetrical in form. Flowers have been used freely in home decoration — painted on walls and ceilings, woven into carpets and mosaics. Flowers and their natural perfumes are used about the person, the Occidental always surrounding himself with something as nearly like living flowers as possible.
The Orient has done the opposite. Since 660 B. C., or even earlier, Japan has employed the forms of Nature as symbols — a bit of evergreen in a vase, not because of its realistic beauty, but because its character symbolizes some sentimental, spiritual, or idealistic thought. In American flower arrangements an idealistic trend is now employed which is called modern and naturalistic. At the same time in Japan the trend has been toward realism — scenic miniatures— and a colorful bouquet, called the Mori Bana. Once again, it seems, East and West are destined to part company.
Yet the naturalistic ideal of flower arrangement is still part of the Japanese cultural development, even as in my own days in the Flowery Kingdom it was my cultural duty to make a flower arrangement each morning — a ‘Nageire,’ or ‘sketch of Nature’ — to please my aged mother.
One day I arranged a wild plum, a very early bloomer (Umme), and I hung as its background a picture which had been painted by the famous Kano Tan yu (16111674). Such an old painting was rather faded in appearance, but the spirit of the picture was intensely vivid — a large carp swimming on the surface of the water, swimming slowly, leaving light wave circles and directing himself with his powerful fin. A carp is the symbol of youth, awakening spring; the Umme is the symbol of patience and womanhood in traditional thought in Japan.
This picture expressed noiseless calm, and yet suggested minutely a breath-taking powerful movement. It was a masterpiece, a perfect impression of an early spring scene. My Nageire in front of it added the naturalness of a highly scented white woodland flower that invites the song of birds. Such an ideal harmony of arrangement centralized the whole atmosphere of the room and gave it the simple beauty of Nature. So highly did my mother prize the arrangement that — unexpected honor! — she permitted it to remain two days instead of one.
The great master Sen no Rikyu, she said, had stressed spontaneity in order to be natural in an arrangement. ‘One must be guided by the spirit of nature — a flash of originality — not merely by rules.’ Yes, surely an outburst of pure inspiration is the vital thing to seek. It is priceless, and should be the goal of each of us in every flower arrangement. No other can attain such heights of respect — even one single flower, when it connects our thoughts and heart with some sentiment, person, or event in our lives. The sense of idealism makes it of transcending value, lingering long in memory, while the spirit of the realistic bouquet perishes as its petals and sensuous appeal wither away.
It is interesting to note that shortly after the Nageire was founded by Rikyu (1520— 1591) a poet named Matsuo Basho (1644— 1694) perfected the simple naturalistic type of poem called Hokku, limited to seventeen syllables. Its spirit exactly paralleled the Nageire, which I like to call a Hokku poem. Yone Noguchi has written: —
‘The Hokku Poems are the expression of mood or force of the writer’s poetical exertion; and the aim they have is hardly connected with the things or matter actually stated, but casts a light on the poetical position in which the writer stands.’
So, as we in America develop idealism or poetry in our sophisticated flower arrangements, we must strive for naturalism spiritualized, art added to nature, awakening the beholder to beauty beyond nature — flowers and settings arranged in a Hokku poem of short, swift strokes which lead the thoughts to some hidden beauty or a sentiment unlocking something deep in our hearts.
SHOGO MYAIDA