JAPANESE FLOWER ARRANGEMENT 



ficialities. This occurring at the end of the 

 period caused a feeling of disgust with Rikkwa, 

 and Nageire again revived. Until then only 

 one branch of Ike-bana had been taught at a 

 time, and this followed the taste of the day; 

 but now rival teachers in both Rikkwa and 

 Nageire existed. 



Rikkwa reached its greatest popularity 

 in the Genroku period, and also then com- 

 menced its decline. From the decline of 

 Rikkwa, Nageire, the origin of the present 

 Ike-bana, grew in power. From this time 

 on it ceased to be called Nageire and took 

 the name of Ike-bana. In the Tenmei Age 

 (178 1- 1 789) Nageire or Ike-bana advanced 

 rapidly in favor and developed great beauty 

 of line. At this date the exponents of the 

 art not only studied nature freely, but com- 

 bined this knowledge with that of Rikkwa, 

 the result bringing Ike-bana to a very perfect 

 state of development. After Tenmei the 

 purest and best taste in Ike-bana began to 

 diminish and a formal and artificial form of 

 arrangement came into existence. This is 



[32] 



