Third Thursday Lecture:Okinoshima: The Origins of Flower Arranging in Japan

Japanese flower arranging or ikebana had gained global popularity by the end of the nineteenth century. A highly regarded cultural practice, flower arranging still plays an important role in decorating special spaces. This lecture examines how and why flower arranging became such an essential element of 'display' (kazari) in traditional Japanese society. While the practice originally derived from the Continent and later adapted to match Japanese aesthetics, the lecture will consider the key stages of progressive shifts from tradition to modern and the rise of different styles, schools and methods.

Michel Maucuer is Chief Conservator of Musée Cernuschi in Paris and a co-author of Arts De L'Asie Au Musee Cernuschi and Henri Cernuschi, 1821-1896: Voyageur Et Collectionneur.