basic Upright Moribana
Moribana was introduced by Unshin ohara at the beginning of the 20th century.
Moribana is arranged in wide-mouthed, rather shallow dishes. There is no limitation on the shape or style of the container used, but at first it is best to use simple but not too colourful containers because the flowers should be the protagonists of your creation.
To hold the green material in the correct position, a kenzan (fakirbed) or shippo (a heavy metal holder with partitions) is used.
Moribana came into use as it is more suited to daily life and the modern environment. it still holds the original spirit of the ikebana tradition, and is essentially a natural style that allows complete freedom in the choice of green material.
When you start to learn Moribana arrangements, it is best to use a combination of one kind of branches with one kind of flowers. You can arrange Moribana using only flowers or
branches, but a combination of branches and flowers produces a more vivid and elegant arrangement. The combination of more than three kinds of different materials is very difficult and often results in a disorderly arrangement. numerous ikebana schools have adapted the Moribana of Unshin ohara to the style and spirit of their school. all the schools have in common the use of three main branches of differing heights to create an asymmetrical balance and a three-dimensional feeling. The main differences between the schools are the length of the branches, the angle of the main branches and the use of materials. Most schools have two basic Moribana styles, the basic upright and the basic slanting. Many variations have been derived from these two basic styles. Modern Moribana is a creative art form and therefore unlimited in its applications. but before you start creating your own version, it is essential to study and understand basic Moribana.
Moribana arrangements have three main branches; we name them A, B, and C.
A is the largest branch and C the smallest.
The length of A equals the diameter plus the height of the container plus half of the sum of the diameter and height.
The length of B is 3/4 of A, and C is between 3/4 and 1/2 of B.
This top view shows the position of the three main branches, and the degrees at which they have to be placed.
This top view shows the position of the three main branches, and the degrees at which they have to be placed.
The front view
Branch B should point to your left shoulder, and branch C to your right. This determines the opening between B and C.
The subordinates are placed in the triangle formed by A, B and C on the kenzan. As can be seen on the right side view, the angle becomes smaller the closer we come to the main branch A.
A subordinate is placed behind the main branch A to add depth. On the kenzan it is placed behind main branch A.
material
Leucadendron ‘Kameleon’, Aquilegia
before trimming and cutting after trimming and cutting
essentials
The measuring: In order to have the right balance between your creation and the vase we measure our green material.
1 Any shape of shallow container can be used. Preferably do not use a glass container. For this example of a basic upright style, the kenzan is placed in the left front corner of the container.
4 Add the height of the container to the length of the branch.
2 Determine the length of the first main branch. The length of the branch should be the diameter of the longest length of the container plus the height of the container, plus half of the sum of the diameter plus the height. (see step 2 to 6)
Start with measuring the diameter or the longest length in case of an irregularly shaped container.
5 Then measure half of the sum of the length of the container plus the height.
3 Then measure the height of the container.
6 Add it to the length of the branch.
7 Then cut the branch at an angle.
8 The branch is cut at an angle, to make it easier to put the branch on the kenzan.
9 Because the main branch consists of only one stem, we add another shorter branch to create an illusion of a side branch.
10 Place the first branch at the centre of your kenzan. The branch should be put in at an angle of 15° to the left, slightly pointing towards you, as if the branch would be greeting you, the way Japanese people greet each other by bowing.
11 Remove the excess leaves on the bottom half
12 Add the side branch to the
18 Place branch B in the bottom left corner of the
at an angle of 45° towards your left shoulder. Consult the diagrams for more details.
kenzan,
15 Branch B should be 3/4 of the length of main branch A.
17 Remove excess leaves, especially on the bottom half of the branch.
14 Main branch A. 16 Cut at an angle.
13 Close-up of branch A with side branch.
main branch.
of the branch.
19 Measure branch C. Our third branch will be a flower. The length of branch C is between 3/4¾and 1/2 of the length of branch B.
20 Place branch C in the bottom right corner of the kenzan, at an angle of 75° towards your right shoulder. Consult the diagrams for more details.
22
Top view of the three main branches and the first subordinate. The first subordinate is a flower and is placed in the triangle created by the three main branches. The subordinates should be placed from front to back. The first one should be placed at an angle. The following subordinates should be placed at smaller angles and bent upwards toward the first main branch.
23 The sizes of the subordinates should differ from each other, and all should be shorter than branch C.
Front view of the three main branches and the first subordinate branch placed between main branch B and C.
26 Top view after placing the third subordinate branch.
21 View of the three main branches.
24 Top view showing the placement of the three main and two subordinate branches.
27 Front view with the third subordinate branch.
Front view.
While making the arrangement, take a step back every so often to have an overall view of your arrangement and check if your main branches didn’t accidentally move when placing the subordinates. The use of the kenzan should not be hidden, nor should it be the first thing one notices.
30 When the kenzan is still too noticeable (most importantly in the front) you can add extra greenery using leftover material from the flowers or branches.
When you take a look at your arrangement, you will notice that it might be leaning too much towards you.
You can adjust this by putting in an extra branch in the back of main branch A. This adds depth to the arrangement and corrects the impression that the arrangement might topple over. This branch is called the depth branch.
reversed arrangement
29 Front view with the four subordinate branches in place.
28 Top view with fourth subordinate branch.
This picture is the same arrangement as is shown above but mirrored in the right side corner of the container.
Moribana with a Horizontal accent
This is a simple Moribana arrangement. The main branch a and b are spread open, which gives the arrangement a horizontal feel. it shows off the curves of the branches, creating depth and a nice fluid feel.
before trimming and cutting after trimming and cutting
material
Photinia, Rosa
1 We use three main branches. Branch B is about 3/4 the length of A, and C is about 3/4 the length of B. The length of the branches is always determined approximately.
4 Prepare branch C, this is our first flower, which is 3/4 to 1/2 the length of branch B. Place branch C just above the centre of the kenzan at an angle of about 15° towards the right. Then bring branch C slightly towards you.
7 In order to hide the kenzan from view, fill the front with the leaves of the flowers or the branches.
2 Put the kenzan on the left side of the container, or, in case of bigger vases, in the top left corner.
Prepare branch A. Branch A is 1.5 times the sum of the length and height of the vase. Place branch A in the bottom right corner of the kenzan, at an angle of 45° towards your right shoulder.
5 Place the first subordinate branch inside the triangle made by branch A, B and C. The subordinate branches differ in height and the angles at which they are placed.
3 Prepare branch B which is 3/4 of the length of branch A. Place branch B in the bottom left corner of the vase at an angle of 75° towards your left shoulder.
6 The second subordinate branch is the smallest one and is placed slightly towards you.
Curved lines
ikebana is based on three principles that involve composition, line, colour and mass. line is the first element that should be practiced. Carefully study the material to determine the most beautiful natural play of lines. Here, we choose a branch and grass, because of its flexible properties. This will allow us to introduce curved lines in the arrangement.
This simple arrangement is also a great example of making something beautiful with a very limited amount of materials.
material
Xanthorrhoea, Cornus sanguinea, Anthurium
1 Put the stem at an angle of about 45°.
Keep in mind that each stem is different, so work according to your own taste.
4 Put a rubber band around the grass and the stem and place the whole in the vase.
2 If the stem is very straight, you may want to bend it to create curvature. Take the stem in your hands, as shown in the picture.
5 Divide the grass in two parts.
3 Gently pull your two hands together. Feel the pressure in the branch in order not to overextend and break the stem. This is the most difficult part of the arrangement and you may have to practice this a few times.
6 Tie one part with wire just above the middle of the length of the stem.
8 Tie the second part of the grass with wire at about 1/4 of the length between the first knotted part and the mouth of the vase.
Put in a flower of your choice.
only leaves
The possibilities for using leaves in arrangements are endless. There are many kinds of leaves, with different shapes, colours and textures. before starting work on the arrangement, study the leaves, both the front and the back. Can you tear the leaves? Which part of the leaf do you like most? it is only after carefully studying your material that you can start with the arrangement.
leaves can bring excitement to an arrangement because of their variety in colours, sizes, and shapes.
Here we chose to use the contrast between the dark Cordyline leaves, and the bicolored pandanus leaves. both leaves are straight and we used this characteristic to make a vertical arrangement.
material
Cordyline, Pandanus leaves
1 Place a kenzan in the container and put the first leaf up straight.
2 Place a Pandanus leaf on the kenzan in front of the first leaf. Make a hole in the first leaf at about 15 cm of the top of the Pandanus leaf.
5 Place the second Pandanus leaf behind the first Pandanus leaf. Place it a bit to the left, then put it through the hole.
9 Make an opening in the front dark leaf and stick the Pandanus through the opening.
3 Put the leaf through the hole.
6 Make an opening in the first leaf, and pull the top of the leaf in the back through the opening.
7 This could be the end result, but a little extra accent might add some more strength to the arrangement.
10 Make a second opening above the first one, and stick the tip through this opening.
11 The finished arrangement.
4 Place the third leaf behind the first leaf. At this point, this leaf is almost invisible from the front, but we will use it later, to add volume to the arrangement.
8 Place a third Pandanus leaf between the two dark leaves.
arrangement in glass Container
When using glass, you have to keep in mind the main characteristic of the material, its transparency. Transparency can be used to make arrangements with a fresh and light feel. glass is therefore especially suited for summer or spring arrangements. Transparency, however, also has a disadvantage. You have to make sure that the attention of the viewer remains on the arrangement and is not disturbed by the construction of the arrangement. The method used to fix the branches and flowers should remain hidden. a kenzan is therefore hardly ever used in combination with a glass container.
one way of using transparency to your advantage is to start the composition already inside the vase. This is what was done with this arrangement. Equisetum is very flexible and can be bent in any direction, making it a very suitable material for this kind of arrangement. Depending on the freshness of the Equisetum, it may be necessary to strengthen the plant with a wire inside. This not only gives it more strength, it also makes it easier to bend in specific angles.
Equisetum hyemale, Zantedeschia zetten, rest schrappen
step by step
1 Cut the Equisetum at an angle. Measure the length of the container and bend it 90° upward.
4 Measure and bend.
7 Repeat the steps used with the first branch two more times.
2 Make a second bend in the middle of the first part.
5 Make sure that the second part fits into the container.
8 Now you have three branches.
3 Put it in the container.
6 The first branch is placed.
9 Bend the Equisetum as indicated in the picture. Bend two branches to the right and one to the left. Make sure to bend at different heights.
Unconventional Materials
The use of unconventional material is typical for the Sogetsu school. Unconventional materials are non natural man-made materials. plastic, paper, stone, metal are just a couple of examples. When you start using unconventional materials, don’t go looking too far, use the things around you. in this arrangement we used two paper towel rolls and one toilet paper roll.
Unconventional materials are especially suited for contemporary arrangements, and can be used to emphasize a particular time or environment. it is important that the unconventional material and the natural material complement each other. Just like the natural material, the unconventional material should be arranged, and not just put in. Do the following check. Take away the unconventional material, or imagine the arrangement without it, and if it looks better, try again.
material
Dianthus ‘Green Trick’, paper rolls, steel grass
The rolls are painted in colours that fit both the container and the natural material.
1 Use a cross fixation in the vase. Put the bundle of grass in the top right quadrant. Take a small bundle. Pull it through the roll.
4 Tie the grass using flower wire.
7 Take a small bundle of grass and stick it through the third roll from the left to the right.
10 Tie it together with the leftover grass. Cut off the parts that are sticking out.
2 Take another small bundle and stick it through the roll from the other side.
5 Now that the first roll is fixed, we start on the second roll.
8 Tie the second and third rolls using flower wire. Put all the grass that spills out of the red roll into the yellow roll.
11 Put in the first flower. In this case all the flowers are also put in the top right quadrant.
3 Fold the grass from both sides to the centre of the roll.
6 Take a small bundle from the left side and stick it through the roll. Measure the position relative to the first roll. Then take the third and smaller roll.
9 Take the bundle of grass that sticks out of the yellow roll.
12
Place the other flowers close to each other so that they form a focal point for the viewer. Visually, the arrangement seemed a bit too heavy on the right side. We therefore added one grass leaf that shoots upward.
Author ilse beunen www.ilsebeunen.com
Photography ben Huybrechts www.benhuybrechts.com
Final editing
Michaël Meert katrien Van Moerbeke
Lay-out
inge Van Damme www.ingedingen.be
Print pureprint www.pureprint.be
Published by Stichting kunstboek bvba legeweg 165 bE-8020 oostkamp
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iSbn 978-90-5856-504-4 D/2015/6407/31 nUr 421
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