DOUBLE SHIN

At the Victorian Branch of the Sogetsu School meeting last Monday, a workshop was held on the theme of a Double Shin arrangement. It was led by Aileen Duke, one of the teachers of the Branch. As Aileen pointed out in her introduction: "The double shin style is not presented in the Sogetsu textbook curriculum, but  Sogetsu practitioners, including Sofu, have explored the relationships and tension made possible by using two shins in one arrangement". The workshop began with a discussion to tease out and share members' knowledge of the history and characteristics of this arrangement. 

The shin line is the longest line in a traditional ikebana arrangement and is important in creating the overall character of the work. The Double Shin idea divides the work into two discrete parts. The example above of a Double Shin Rikka is from the book, Rikka: The Soul of Japanese Flower Arrangement by Fujiwara, Y. (translated by Norman Sparnon) Reed Ltd 1976, Page 75. There is a lengthy description of the style in the book. Characteristics that I find interesting are that the two shins are made from different materials, traditionally Pine and Bamboo. The space between them is narrow and clearly defined. Also, each side of this work is a complete Rikka comprised of the nine lines that are required in this form of Ikebana.

I have always thought of this example, by Sofu Teshigahara, to be a modern interpretation of the Double Shin concept. An ikebana with the materials divided into two parts.  It was called "Kyozo II" and created in 1951.

In Norman Sparnon's book, A Guide to Japanese Flower Arrangement (Reed Ltd 1969, Page 46) there are four examples of modern Double Shin ikebana arrangements. They are all created in a vessel and of a domestic scale. In this example the two Shin lines are crossed, manipulating and changing the character of the space between them. Of the four examples illustrated this is the only one material ikebana.

A further, and very different, example is to be found in Sparnon's Creative Japanese Flower Arrangement (Shufunotomo Ltd 1982, Page 79). This seems to me to be really pushing the boundaries, having minimal material, of only one kind, and the vessel being the strongest element.

My arrangement above, is of the Sogetsu School basic curriculum variation in which the hikae, the flower element, is separated from the branch materials and placed on a separate kenzan. I have heard the space between the kenzans described as the "fish path" and wonder whether it is a style common to other schools of ikebana.

In the most recent revision of the curriculum, the Sogetsu School introduced a new style (kabuwake) in which two or more kenzans are used. However, branch and flower materials are not separated on to different kenzans. In my ikebana above attention is paid to the space between the groups and the harmony of the materials.

This is my ikebana from the workshop last Monday. I have used Bull Rushes Typha orientalis for the two Shin lines and Dockweed Rumex, for the jushi which is a rich pink because it is going to seed. In this case more jushi is placed on the left side to emphasise that Shin more than the Shin on the right-hand side. Doing so helps makes this ikebana asymmetrical.

However !   In the workshop I learnt that a Double Shin ikebana, as practiced in the Sogetsu School, uses only one kenzan and should be set in a high-sided vessel rather than a suiban. Therefore this is actually a kabuwake (separate groups) ikebana. (Never too old to learn!).

This ikebana, which I made about nine years ago, is a better example of the Double Shin ikebana. The righthand side is made stronger and given a focal point by the addition of a Pincushion Protea Leucospermum, which also makes the ikebana asymmetric.

It is interesting to see that the antecedents of the Double Shin as now practised go back to the Rikka style which was developed in the late 1500s; and that the idea of a Divided ikebana has evolved over that period up to the present time. Ikebana is clearly a living art form.

This link will take you to the posting on the Sogetsu School, Victorian Branch, website of the Workshop led by Aileen Duke.

Greetings from Christopher
12th February 2023