Japanese flower arrangement/Chapter 7

by Mary Averill

CHAPTER SEVEN
HOW TO ARRANGE FIVE
CHRYSANTHEMUMS

SELECT the flowers most graceful in shape for Heaven and Man, which would here be No. 3 for Heaven and No. 1 for Man, with No. 5 for Earth, leaving Nos. 2 and 4 as tasuke or attributes. The tasuke should never be taken from the most striking material or most beautiful flowers, for those must be used in the more prominent positions of Heaven, Man, and Earth.

Heaven should have a fully opened flower, turning a trifle towards the back, so as to reveal the back of the flower. The tasuke of Heaven can be either a half-opened flower or a bud. For Man use a half-opened flower or a full-blown one. Earth should be full-blown and should be faced straight upwards. One of the five flowers should be behind the leaves. This naturally will be one of the tasuke, as No. 2 in the cut, showing the five chrysanthemums arrangement completed.