EAST AND WEST

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21503, 29 May 1933, Page 3

EAST AND WEST

ART OF JAPANESE WOMEN As the East comes to the West for education in some things, sb the AVest can go to the East to learn others. There is much the women of this country can learn in the way of household economies from the Orient, states a London writer. A Japanese home, for instance, has only the necessary .equipment. Ihere are no odd pieces of furniture that arc not in use filling up rooms and making traps for dust. Everything is light and easy to move for cleaning purposes. The women are extremely artistic though economical, and yet lose nothing by their simple methods. Arranging flowers is one example. They use very few, but in an artistic manner. Usually they have but three flowers in a bowl or vase. Choice blooms must be chosen and they should be in three different heights. The centre flower represents Heaven; tho left-hand flower is half as high and represents Humanity, and the right-hand bloom is a quarter of the height of the centre flower and symbolises Mother Earth, according to the Japanese. This gives an added interest to the flowers, besides containing a beautiful thought. The fundamental principle of all flower decorations in Japan lies in that one arrangement and its symbolism of Heaven, Earth and Humanity. At times the theme is slightly varied, but the idea remains solid behind it. Every Japanese girl is taught at school to arrange flowers for the homo. It is a definite part of the curriculum, and is considered an essential part of a girl's education. So immense is the love of flowers in Japan that when certain trees first bloom the whole of the inhabitants of the town, from tho highest to the lowest, turn out before breakfast to pay homage to tho flowers. Long processions can bo seen going in tho direction of tho special tree or plant as soon as the news has spread.