the book of tea-第12章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ystic　fire　consumes　our　weakness；　the　sacred　sword　cleaves　the　bondage　of　desire。　　From　our　ashes　springs　the　phoenix　of　celestial　hope；　out　of　the　freedom　comes　a　higher　realisation　of　manhood。

Why　not　destroy　flowers　if　thereby　we　can　evolve　new　forms　ennobling　the　world　idea？　　We　only　ask　them　to　join　in　our　　sacrifice　to　the　beautiful。　　We　shall　atone　for　the　deed　by　　consecrating　ourselves　to　Purity　and　Simplicity。　　Thus　reasoned　the　tea…masters　when　they　established　the　Cult　of　Flowers。

Anyone　acquainted　with　the　ways　of　our　tea…　and　flower…masters　must　have　noticed　the　religious　veneration　with　which　they　regard　flowers。　　They　do　not　cull　at　random；　but　carefully　select　each　branch　or　spray　with　an　eye　to　the　artistic　composition　they　have　in　mind。　　They　would　be　ashamed　should　they　chance　to　cut　more　than　were　absolutely　necessary。　　It　may　be　remarked　in　this　connection　that　they　always　associate　the　leaves；　if　there　be　any；　with　the　flower；　for　the　object　is　to　present　the　whole　beauty　of　plant　life。　　In　this　respect；　as　in　many　others；　their　method　differs　from　that　pursued　in　Western　countries。　Here　we　are　apt　to　see　only　the　flower　stems；　heads　as　it　were；　without　body；　stuck　promiscuously　into　a　vase。

When　a　tea…master　has　arranged　a　flower　to　his　satisfaction　he　will　place　it　on　the　tokonoma；　the　place　of　honour　in　a　Japanese　room。　　Nothing　else　will　be　placed　near　it　which　might　interfere　with　its　effect；　not　even　a　painting；　unless　there　be　some　special　aesthetic　reason　for　the　combination。　　It　rests　there　like　an　enthroned　prince；　and　the　guests　or　disciples　on　entering　the　room　will　salute　it　with　a　profound　bow　before　making　their　addresses　to　the　host。　　Drawings　from　masterpieces　are　made　and　published　for　the　edification　of　amateurs。　　The　amount　of　literature　on　the　subject　is　quite　voluminous。　　When　the　flower　fades；　the　master　tenderly　consigns　it　to　the　river　or　carefully　buries　it　in　the　ground。　　Monuments　are　sometimes　erected　to　their　memory。

The　birth　of　the　Art　of　Flower　Arrangement　seems　to　be　　simultaneous　with　that　of　Teaism　in　the　fifteenth　century。　Our　legends　ascribe　the　first　flower　arrangement　to　those　early　Buddhist　saints　who　gathered　the　flowers　strewn　by　the　storm　and；　in　their　infinite　solicitude　for　all　living　things；　placed　them　in　vessels　of　water。　　It　is　said　that　Soami；　the　great　painter　and　connoisseur　of　the　court　of　Ashikaga…　Yoshimasa；　was　one　of　the　earliest　adepts　at　it。　　Juko；　the　tea…master；　was　one　of　his　pupils；　as　was　also　Senno；　the　founder　of　the　house　of　Ikenobo；　a　family　as　illustrious　in　the　annals　of　flowers　as　was　that　of　the　Kanos　in　painting。　With　the　perfecting　of　the　tea…ritual　under　Rikiu；　in　the　latter　part　of　the　sixteenth　century；　flower　arrangement　also　attains　its　full　growth。　　Rikiu　and　his　successors；　the　celebrated　Ota…　wuraka；　Furuka…Oribe；　Koyetsu；　Kobori…Enshiu；　Katagiri…　Sekishiu；　vied　with　each　other　in　forming　new　combinations。　We　must　remember；　however；　that　the　flower…worship　of　the　tea…masters　formed　only　a　part　of　their　aesthetic　ritual；　and　was　not　a　distinct　religion　by　itself。　　A　flower　arrangement；　like　the　other　works　of　art　in　the　tea…room；　was　subordinated　to　the　total　scheme　of　decoration。　　Thus　Sekishiu　ordained　that　white　plum　blossoms　should　not　be　made　use　of　when　snow　lay　in　the　garden。　　〃Noisy〃　flowers　were　relentlessly　banished　from　the　tea…room。　　A　flower　arrangement　by　a　tea…master　loses　its　significance　if　removed　from　the　place　for　　which　it　was　originally　intended；　for　its　lines　and　proportions　have　been　specially　worked　out　with　a　view　to　its　surroundings。

The　adoration　of　the　flower　for　its　own　sake　begins　with　the　rise　of　〃Flower…Masters；〃　toward　the　middle　of　the　seventeenth　century。　　It　now　becomes　independent　of　the　tea…room　and　knows　no　law　save　that　the　vase　imposes　on　it。　　New　conceptions　and　methods　of　execution　now　become　possible；　and　many　were　the　principles　and　schools　resulting　therefrom。　　A　writer　in　the　middle　of　the　last　century　said　he　could　count　over　one　hundred　different　schools　of　flower　arrangement。　　Broadly　speaking；　these　divide　themselves　into　two　main　branches；　the　Formalistic　and　the　Naturalesque。　　The　Formalistic　schools；　led　by　the　Ikenobos；　aimed　at　a　classic　idealism　corresponding　to　that　of　the　Kano…academicians。　　We　possess　records　of　arrangements　by　the　early　masters　of　the　school　which　almost　reproduce　the　flower　paintings　of　Sansetsu　and　Tsunenobu。　　The　Naturalesque　school；　on　the　other　hand；　accepted　nature　as　its　model；　only　imposing　such　modifications　of　form　as　conduced　to　the　expression　of　artistic　unity。　　Thus　we　recognise　in　its　works　the　same　impulses　which　formed　the　Ukiyoe　and　Shijo　schools　of　painting。

It　would　be　interesting；　had　we　time；　to　enter　more　fully　than　it　is　now　possible　into　the　laws　of　composition　and　detail　formulated　by　the　various　flower…masters　of　this　period；　showing；　as　they　would；　the　fundamental　theories　which　governed　Tokugawa　decoration。　We　find　them　referring　to　the　Leading　Principle　（Heaven）；　the　　Subordinate　Principle　（Earth）；　the　Reconciling　Principle　（Man）；　　and　any　flower　arrangement　which　did　not　embody　these　principles　　was　considered　barren　and　dead。　They　also　dwelt　much　on　the　　importance　of　treating　a　flower　in　its　three　different　aspects；　　the　Formal；　the　Semi…Formal；　and　the　Informal。　　The　first　might　be　　said　to　represent　flowers　in　the　stately　costume　of　the　ballroom；　　the　second　in　the　easy　elegance　of　afternoon　dress；　the　third　in　the　　charming　deshabille　of　the　boudoir。

Our　personal　sympathies　are　with　the　flower…arrangements　of　the　tea…master　rather　than　with　those　of　the　flower…master。　　The　former　is　art　in　its　proper　setting　and　appeals　to　us　on　account　of　its　true　intimacy　with　life。　　We　should　like　to　call　this　school　the　Natural　in　contradistinction　to　the　Naturalesque　and　Formalistic　schools。　The　tea…master　deems　his　duty　ended　with　the　selection　of　the　flowers；　and　leaves　them　to　tell　their　own　story。　　Entering　a　tea…room　in　late　winter；　you　may　see　a　slender　spray　of　wild　cherries　in　combination　with　a　budding　camellia；　it　is　an　echo　of　departing　winter　coupled　with　the　prophecy　of　spring。　　Again；　if　you　go　into　a　noon…tea　on　some　irritatingly　hot　summer　day；　you　may　discover　in　the　darkened　coolness　of　the　tokonoma　a　single　lily　in　a　hanging　vase；　dripping　with　dew；　it　seems　to　smile　at　the　foolishness　of　life。

A　solo　of　flowers　is　interesting；　but　in　a　concerto　with　painting　and　sculpture　the　combination　becomes　entrancing。　　Sekishiu　once　placed　some　water…plants　in　a　flat　receptacle　to　suggest　the　vegetation　of　lakes　and　marshes；　and　on　the　wall　above　he　hung　a　painting　by　Soami　of　wild　ducks　flying　in　the　air。　　Shoha；　another　tea…master；　combined　a　poem　on　the　Beauty　of　Solitude　by　the　Sea　with　a　bronze　incense　burner　in　the　form　of　a　fisherman's　hut　and　some　wild　flowers　of　the　beach。　　One　of　the　guests　has　recorded　that　he　felt　in　the　whole　composition　the　breath　of　waning　autumn。

Flower　stories　are　endless。　　We　shall　recount　but　one　more。　In　the　sixteenth　century　the　morning…glory　was　as　yet　a　rare　plant　with　us。　　Rikiu　had　an　entire　garden　planted　with　it；　which　he　cultivated　with　assiduous　care。　　The　fame　of　his　convulvuli　reached　the　ear　of　the　Taiko；　and　he　expressed　a　desire　to　see　　them；　in　consequence　of　which　Rikiu　invited　him　to　a　morning　tea　at　his　house。　On　the　appointed　day　Taiko　walked　through　the　　garden；　but　nowhere　could　he　see　any　vestige　of　the　convulvus。　The　ground　had　been　leveled　and　strewn　with　fine　pebbles　and　sand。　With　sullen　anger　the　despot　entered　the　tea…room；　but　a　sight　waited　him　there　which　completely　restored　his　humour。　　On　the　tokonoma；　in　a　rare　bronze　of　Sung　workmanship；　lay　a　single　morning…glorythe　queen　of　the　whole　garden！

In　such　instances　we　see　the　full　significance　of　the　Flower　Sacrifice。　Perhaps　the　flowers　appreciate　the　full　significance　of　it。　　They　are　not　cowards；　like　men。　　Some　flowers　glory　in　deathcertainly　the　Japanese　cherry　blossoms　do；　as　they　freely　surrender　themselves　to　the　winds。　　Anyone　who　has　stood　before　the　fragrant　avalanche　at　Yoshino　or　Arashiyama　must　have　realized　this。　　For　a　moment　they　hover　like　bejewelled　clouds　a