Florence Burgat [2020] made a distinction between the life of plants and that of
animals. The former is characterized by its (A) fixation in the earth, (B) capability of
reacting to stimuli, (C) potential immortality, and (D) existence in a network (non-
individuality); whereas the latter is by its (A) mobility, (B) capability of responding to
stimuli, (C) mortality, and (D) existence as an individual being.
The ikebana flower which is cut off the earth is characterized, in my view, by its (A)
mobility caused by the arranger, (B) capability of reacting to stimuli as far as it lasts, (C)
mortality caused by being cut off, and (D) acquisition of an individual character by the
hand of the arranger.
The arranger may arrange the cut flower by tearing off unnecessary leaves, trimming
stems appropriately, and placing it in a suitable space. The flower becomes an individual
being through such arrangements, because it has already gained independence when it
was cut, and it can bring its potential nature to its full development.
In conclusion, the ikebana flower realizes itself through the hand of the arranger in a
manner different from and more natural than it was in the wild.
抄録全体を表示