The history of flower arrangement dates back to ancient Egyptian times. It developed in Egyptian, Chinese, Roman, Greek, Byzantine, and later in European, cultures.
Contents
[hide]
1 The Ancient Egyptians
2 The Ancient Greeks and Romans
3 Ancient China
4 The Byzantine Empire
5 Flower arranging reaches Europe
6 See Also
7 References
[edit]The Ancient Egyptians
The earliest known flower arranging dates back to ancient Egypt. Egyptians were decorating with flowers as early as 2,500 BCE. They regularly placed cut flowers in vases. Highly stylized arrangements were used during burials, for processions, and simply as table decorations. Illustrations of arranged flowers have been found on Egyptian carved stone reliefs and painted wall decorations.
Flowers were selected according to symbolic meaning, with emphasis on religious significance. The lotus flower or water lily, for example, was considered sacred to Isis and was often included in arrangements. Many other flowers have been found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians. Garlands of flowers were worn by loved ones and left at the tombs. These included blue scilla, poppy-flowerednemone, Iris sibirica, delphinium, narcissus, palm tree, papyrus and rose.
The two artistic functions were repetition and alternation. One flower around the rim vase and alternation colour,blue followed by green, and then blue again. This helped achieve that look of simplicity while keeping the use of the primary and other vibrant colours.
[edit]The Ancient Greeks and Romans
The Greeks and the Romans also used flowers. The ancient Greeks used flowers more for adornment. Herbs were frequently used with the flowers, and as garlands, and wreaths. They did not often use vases, focusing instead on garlands and wreaths. In terracotta they would place plant material such as olive branches. The leafy branches were probably used for weddings. They also tossed petals onto floors and beds. Like the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans had preferences for the flowers and foliage they used .
The most popular foliage used by the Greeks and the Romans were acorns, oak leaves, laurel, ivy, bay and parsley. Laurel wreathswere presented to winners of athletic competitions in the ancient Olympics. These wreaths were also awarded to individuals winning competition in poetic meets. In Rome they symbolized a military victory and crowned the successful commander in honor of his triumph.The garland wreath was a symbol to the Greeks it represented , power, honour , allegiance ,dedication, it was awarded in honor athletes, poets, civic leaders, soldier, and heroes.
The preferred flowers include roses, hyacinths, honeysuckle, violets, and lilies. Other flowers such as tulips, larkspur, and marigoldswere also selected for their shape, color, and form.
Wealth and power led the Romans and Greeks ( me) to the greater luxury in the use of flowers and like the Egyptian were used in religious rites. As the rose is the symbol of love today and as we know love is a powerful thing the Romans were know to use an abundant of roses. At banquets, roses were strewn on the floor to a depth of one foot , and the flowers " RAINED" from the ceiling.The fragrance of so many roses were almost suffocating ! The Romans used the roses at many meals and because of its overwhelming fragrance it was known as the ***" THE HOUR OF ROSE"***
[edit]Ancient China
The Chinese were making flower arrangements as far back as 207 BCE to 220 CE, in the Han era of ancient China. Flowers were an integral component of religious teaching and medicine.
Practitioners of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism placed cut flowers on their altars. This practice dates back to 618-906 CE. They created paintings, carvings, and embroidered items with depictions of flowers. The paintings can be found on vases, plates, scrolls, and silk. The flower carvings were done on wood, bronze, jade and ivory.
Buddhist teachings forbade the taking of a life, so religious practitioners worked sparingly when taking cuttings from plants. Flowers and leaves that were used to make basket arrangements were selected based on their symbolic meaning. For example, the bamboo, thepeach tree, and the pear tree symbolized longevity. The tiger lily, the pomegranate, and the orchid symbolized fertility. The most honored of all flowers was the peony. Considered the “king of flowers”, it symbolized wealth, good fortune, and high status.
[edit]The Byzantine Empire
( AD 320-600) In this period the Greek and Roman flower usages styles continued . But instead the garland was made differently. The use of many more leaves and tiny flowers were set in arching lines to give an twisted effect.
During the period 500CE to 1453CE, the Byzantine Empire made its contribution to floral arrangements. Arrangements typically included a cone shape design. The cone-shaped foliage was placed in chalices and urns, which were further decorated with brightly colored flowers and fruit. Flowers commonly included in these arrangements were daisies, lilies, cypress, carnations, and pine. Ribbons were also commonly used.
[edit]Flower arranging reaches Europe
Flower arranging arrived in Europe around 1000 CE. This was particularly true in churches and monasteries where flowers and plants were used for food as well as for decoration. As crusaders came back from the Middle East, they brought new and interesting plants with them. As a result, European countries were able to begin experimenting with plants that were previously unknown to them.
MIDDLE AGES (AD 476-1400)
This is the era of the monks were they were know to have gardens of herbs and wildflowers. As in the manuscripts there is lots of wildflowers elegantly decorating the borders of the pages. In the later part of the Gothic period flowers became more of a dominant role . As the flowers began to blossom in altar pictures , manuscripts, and paintings. monks and medicine
An important aspect of the monastery plan was inclusion of the medicinal herb garden, which “furnished the physician with the pharmaceutical products needed for his cures” “A dependence on the power of herbs. without reference to their Creator [God] was regarded as improper for a Christian” [12]. Because God “causes herbs to grow,” their medical utilityis fundamentally spiritual [13]. In addition, many plants were used by monks and Christians in general in sacred rituals and ceremonies. They often had “well-known symbolic association” and appealed to spiritual bases, as well as physical effects in medical care
RENAISSANCE(AD 1400-1600)
The flower design started in Italy and grew through Europe . Paintings of exaggerated floral arrangement in vases were popular. Stems were covered creating a massed symmetrically stiff arrangement. . They used a variety of bright colours and different kinds of flowers. Fruits blossoms and leaves were woven into garlands to decorate walls and vaulted ceilings. Pedals were piled into baskets to strewn on the floors, streets or to float down from balconies.
BAROQUE PERIOD (AD 1600-1775)
In start of the period floral designs were symmetrical and oval shaped but later in this time period asymmetrical was in and the s cure or a crescent was popular.
DUTCH-FLEMISH PERIOD (AD 1600-1750)
Unlike the baroque period the arrangements were more compact and proportioned. The major characteristic of this period is the variety of flowers within the bouquet.
FRENCH PERIOD (AD 1600-1814)
Feminine appeal became a major characteristic of the floral design. This was the French baroque period. French rococo this time was more formal These floral arrangements were asymmetrical using the c crescent or the s cure for form. In the empire period they used simple lines in triangle shape and strong colour contrast. The typical empire design would be arranged in an urn containing an abundance of large richly coloured flowers .
ENGLISH –GEROGIAN PERIOD (AD 1714 -1760)
The designs were formal and symmetrical and often tightly arranged with a variety of flowers. There were influences of oriental design because of active trading . This made the design symmetrical triangle shaped . At the end of the period the designs become informal due to the fact the fragrance of the flowers became more important. The fragrance of the flowers were said to rid the air of diseases. Because of this belief they created an arrangement called “nosegay”’. Which was a handheld arrangement to carry sweet scents. Nosegays also help mask the odors of society where bathing often believed to be unhealthy. The bouquets was called tussie- mussies often pronounced tuzzy-muzzy.
VICTORIAN PERIOD (AD 1820-1901)
Flowers were considered fashionable in this period. The period was named after queen Victoria. Although in this era the flowers were poorly proportioned. Large mass flowers were placed tightly into a container to create compact arrangements. They were asymmetrical and massed tightly. There is no definite style. There was many different flowers and colours almost to make the arrangement look unplanned. The tuzzy- muzzy bouquets was still used to eliminate odors. At the end of the period there were attempts to make rules for floral arranging and that’s when it became an profession and art.
The Italian Renaissance helped give flower arranging extra spark in Europe. It was during this time period that a wide variety of arrangement styles began to develop. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, flower arrangements were commonplace and a wide variety of materials were used to make containers. These included marble, heavy Venetian glass, and bronze.
Flower arrangements made during this time introduced a whole new element - using tropical fruits. These arrangements also focused on creating contrast with color. Some of the popular flowers included the Lilium Candidum ( or Madonna lilu, used to symbolize fertility and chastity), narcissus, pinks, iris, jasmine, pansies, French marigolds, cornflowers, and rosemary.
Contents
[hide]
1 The Ancient Egyptians
2 The Ancient Greeks and Romans
3 Ancient China
4 The Byzantine Empire
5 Flower arranging reaches Europe
6 See Also
7 References
[edit]The Ancient Egyptians
The earliest known flower arranging dates back to ancient Egypt. Egyptians were decorating with flowers as early as 2,500 BCE. They regularly placed cut flowers in vases. Highly stylized arrangements were used during burials, for processions, and simply as table decorations. Illustrations of arranged flowers have been found on Egyptian carved stone reliefs and painted wall decorations.
Flowers were selected according to symbolic meaning, with emphasis on religious significance. The lotus flower or water lily, for example, was considered sacred to Isis and was often included in arrangements. Many other flowers have been found in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians. Garlands of flowers were worn by loved ones and left at the tombs. These included blue scilla, poppy-flowerednemone, Iris sibirica, delphinium, narcissus, palm tree, papyrus and rose.
The two artistic functions were repetition and alternation. One flower around the rim vase and alternation colour,blue followed by green, and then blue again. This helped achieve that look of simplicity while keeping the use of the primary and other vibrant colours.
[edit]The Ancient Greeks and Romans
The Greeks and the Romans also used flowers. The ancient Greeks used flowers more for adornment. Herbs were frequently used with the flowers, and as garlands, and wreaths. They did not often use vases, focusing instead on garlands and wreaths. In terracotta they would place plant material such as olive branches. The leafy branches were probably used for weddings. They also tossed petals onto floors and beds. Like the Egyptians, the Greeks and Romans had preferences for the flowers and foliage they used .
The most popular foliage used by the Greeks and the Romans were acorns, oak leaves, laurel, ivy, bay and parsley. Laurel wreathswere presented to winners of athletic competitions in the ancient Olympics. These wreaths were also awarded to individuals winning competition in poetic meets. In Rome they symbolized a military victory and crowned the successful commander in honor of his triumph.The garland wreath was a symbol to the Greeks it represented , power, honour , allegiance ,dedication, it was awarded in honor athletes, poets, civic leaders, soldier, and heroes.
The preferred flowers include roses, hyacinths, honeysuckle, violets, and lilies. Other flowers such as tulips, larkspur, and marigoldswere also selected for their shape, color, and form.
Wealth and power led the Romans and Greeks ( me) to the greater luxury in the use of flowers and like the Egyptian were used in religious rites. As the rose is the symbol of love today and as we know love is a powerful thing the Romans were know to use an abundant of roses. At banquets, roses were strewn on the floor to a depth of one foot , and the flowers " RAINED" from the ceiling.The fragrance of so many roses were almost suffocating ! The Romans used the roses at many meals and because of its overwhelming fragrance it was known as the ***" THE HOUR OF ROSE"***
[edit]Ancient China
The Chinese were making flower arrangements as far back as 207 BCE to 220 CE, in the Han era of ancient China. Flowers were an integral component of religious teaching and medicine.
Practitioners of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism placed cut flowers on their altars. This practice dates back to 618-906 CE. They created paintings, carvings, and embroidered items with depictions of flowers. The paintings can be found on vases, plates, scrolls, and silk. The flower carvings were done on wood, bronze, jade and ivory.
Buddhist teachings forbade the taking of a life, so religious practitioners worked sparingly when taking cuttings from plants. Flowers and leaves that were used to make basket arrangements were selected based on their symbolic meaning. For example, the bamboo, thepeach tree, and the pear tree symbolized longevity. The tiger lily, the pomegranate, and the orchid symbolized fertility. The most honored of all flowers was the peony. Considered the “king of flowers”, it symbolized wealth, good fortune, and high status.
[edit]The Byzantine Empire
( AD 320-600) In this period the Greek and Roman flower usages styles continued . But instead the garland was made differently. The use of many more leaves and tiny flowers were set in arching lines to give an twisted effect.
During the period 500CE to 1453CE, the Byzantine Empire made its contribution to floral arrangements. Arrangements typically included a cone shape design. The cone-shaped foliage was placed in chalices and urns, which were further decorated with brightly colored flowers and fruit. Flowers commonly included in these arrangements were daisies, lilies, cypress, carnations, and pine. Ribbons were also commonly used.
[edit]Flower arranging reaches Europe
Flower arranging arrived in Europe around 1000 CE. This was particularly true in churches and monasteries where flowers and plants were used for food as well as for decoration. As crusaders came back from the Middle East, they brought new and interesting plants with them. As a result, European countries were able to begin experimenting with plants that were previously unknown to them.
MIDDLE AGES (AD 476-1400)
This is the era of the monks were they were know to have gardens of herbs and wildflowers. As in the manuscripts there is lots of wildflowers elegantly decorating the borders of the pages. In the later part of the Gothic period flowers became more of a dominant role . As the flowers began to blossom in altar pictures , manuscripts, and paintings. monks and medicine
An important aspect of the monastery plan was inclusion of the medicinal herb garden, which “furnished the physician with the pharmaceutical products needed for his cures” “A dependence on the power of herbs. without reference to their Creator [God] was regarded as improper for a Christian” [12]. Because God “causes herbs to grow,” their medical utilityis fundamentally spiritual [13]. In addition, many plants were used by monks and Christians in general in sacred rituals and ceremonies. They often had “well-known symbolic association” and appealed to spiritual bases, as well as physical effects in medical care
RENAISSANCE(AD 1400-1600)
The flower design started in Italy and grew through Europe . Paintings of exaggerated floral arrangement in vases were popular. Stems were covered creating a massed symmetrically stiff arrangement. . They used a variety of bright colours and different kinds of flowers. Fruits blossoms and leaves were woven into garlands to decorate walls and vaulted ceilings. Pedals were piled into baskets to strewn on the floors, streets or to float down from balconies.
BAROQUE PERIOD (AD 1600-1775)
In start of the period floral designs were symmetrical and oval shaped but later in this time period asymmetrical was in and the s cure or a crescent was popular.
DUTCH-FLEMISH PERIOD (AD 1600-1750)
Unlike the baroque period the arrangements were more compact and proportioned. The major characteristic of this period is the variety of flowers within the bouquet.
FRENCH PERIOD (AD 1600-1814)
Feminine appeal became a major characteristic of the floral design. This was the French baroque period. French rococo this time was more formal These floral arrangements were asymmetrical using the c crescent or the s cure for form. In the empire period they used simple lines in triangle shape and strong colour contrast. The typical empire design would be arranged in an urn containing an abundance of large richly coloured flowers .
ENGLISH –GEROGIAN PERIOD (AD 1714 -1760)
The designs were formal and symmetrical and often tightly arranged with a variety of flowers. There were influences of oriental design because of active trading . This made the design symmetrical triangle shaped . At the end of the period the designs become informal due to the fact the fragrance of the flowers became more important. The fragrance of the flowers were said to rid the air of diseases. Because of this belief they created an arrangement called “nosegay”’. Which was a handheld arrangement to carry sweet scents. Nosegays also help mask the odors of society where bathing often believed to be unhealthy. The bouquets was called tussie- mussies often pronounced tuzzy-muzzy.
VICTORIAN PERIOD (AD 1820-1901)
Flowers were considered fashionable in this period. The period was named after queen Victoria. Although in this era the flowers were poorly proportioned. Large mass flowers were placed tightly into a container to create compact arrangements. They were asymmetrical and massed tightly. There is no definite style. There was many different flowers and colours almost to make the arrangement look unplanned. The tuzzy- muzzy bouquets was still used to eliminate odors. At the end of the period there were attempts to make rules for floral arranging and that’s when it became an profession and art.
The Italian Renaissance helped give flower arranging extra spark in Europe. It was during this time period that a wide variety of arrangement styles began to develop. By the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, flower arrangements were commonplace and a wide variety of materials were used to make containers. These included marble, heavy Venetian glass, and bronze.
Flower arrangements made during this time introduced a whole new element - using tropical fruits. These arrangements also focused on creating contrast with color. Some of the popular flowers included the Lilium Candidum ( or Madonna lilu, used to symbolize fertility and chastity), narcissus, pinks, iris, jasmine, pansies, French marigolds, cornflowers, and rosemary.
