THE FLOWER ART OF JAPAN 



fore are not so highly valued as those forms 

 which take nature as their guide. Through 

 a longing to create something new, and a 

 remarkable judgment regarding the fitness 

 of things, these symbolical arrangements 

 have been developed. They are frequently 

 more grotesque than beautiful and are used 

 at large gatherings to promote talk and a 

 closer scrutiny than would generally be 

 given by masses of people to the simpler 

 but more exquisite compositions. 



That all symbolical arrangements are 

 not grotesque is shown by the common and 

 beautiful composition known as Sho-chiku- 

 Bai, a combination of pine, bamboo, and 

 plum, which is used at New Year and for 

 wedding ceremonies. In Chapter Fifteen 

 there is given a beautiful example of this 

 combination. Here is an uncommon and 

 grotesque arrangement. The pine at the 

 top in the bronze bowl is tied with a cord, 

 which always signifies a gift or offering; the 

 figure forming the standard and holding the 

 bowl has a bamboo design on his kimono, 



