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Daruma Dolls

Added on December 6, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Why does this doll have no eyes?

Because it is waiting for you to fill it! That's right, the daruma doll's eyes are left blank on purpose.

When you have set a goal for yourself, you paint one eye. You are allowed to paint in the other eye only when you have achieved your goal. This old tradition from Japan is a wonderful motivational tool!

The daruma doll is made of papier-mâché and is in the image of Bodhidarma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. The dolls are designed not to tip over...a symbol of the never-give-up spirit. "Nana korobi ya oki" is a Japanese proverb that says, "Fall down 7 times, get up 8 times." That is how the roly-poly daruma inspires us not to give up on our goals and dreams.

In Japan, daruma dolls are commonly sold outside shrine grounds in the New Year. People go to the shrine to pray for a good year and if they set certain goals for the year, they will pick up a daruma doll. It could be for a politician running for election; a businessman with a sales target; a student studying for exams; an artist finishing a project; a child saving coins in a piggy bank to buy a toy... No goal or wish is too small!

So are you ready?

Step 1: Decide the goal you want to achieve.
Step 2: Paint in one eye of the daruma doll. Now you are committed!
Step 3: Put the doll in a prominent place where you will see it everyday!
Step 4: Work, work, WORK...to accomplish the task you have embarked on.
Step 5: After successful completion, paint in the other eye.
Step 6: Give yourself a pat on the back. Congratulations!
Step 7: Back to Step #1!

Try the daruma doll with your next New Year's resolution! :-)

第62回多摩探検隊「多摩だるま～受け継がれる手作りの心～」（2009年6月放送）多摩だるま。それは、江戸時代から多摩地域に根づく伝統的なだるまです。今回は、一つ一つ手作りで作られた多摩だるまの歴史や特徴を紹介します。また、親子三代にわたりだるまを作り続ける職人の心に迫ります。＜協力＞内野屋　拝島大師　円福寺＜キャスター＞　田崎愛美＜制作補助＞中島聡　森田智子　葛西友久　齊藤綾　小原美穂　辻圭介太田朗　安田亮介＜イラスト＞　佐竹祐哉　辻圭介＜ナレーション＞　佐竹祐哉＜監修＞　松野良一＜ディレクター＞　成松美菜＜制作・著作＞　中央大学FLP松野良一ゼミ

Get your daruma doll from our shop!

Hariko No Tora, The Papier-Mâché Tiger

Added on December 1, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Tyger Tyger, burning bright,
In the forests of the night;
What immortal hand or eye,
Could frame thy fearful symmetry?

from The Tyger by William Blake, 1794.

Hariko no tora, the papier-mâché tiger, is a traditional Japanese craft.

In Japan, tigers are known for their bravery and also for having close-knit families.

The papier-mâché tiger represents courage and family love.

The tigers are also there to help children grow strong and healthy.

Perhaps the more famous and interesting type of hariko no tora is the one with the bobbing head. We have a big one in the shop to welcome you!

RAWR! Don't be scared. It doesn't bite. :-)

We're not particularly big fans of GIFs but in this case, this GIF is probably appropriate to show you the bobbing head. :-)

Please visit the shop and pet our tigers!

If you are interested to learn about how the tigers are made, please visit this site. It is in Japanese only but there are a lot of photos. The paper they use is washi, Japanese paper.

The Black Kenzan

Added on November 7, 2013 by the ikebana shop.

Black is one of the basic colours of ikebana flower containers. A shiny kenzan in a black container would be a distraction and draw attention away from the real focal point of an arrangement. It is something that one would rather not see! For a discriminating ikebanista, obscuring the shiny kenzan used in a black container could be quite the challenge!

You can put the covering pebbles aside... Say hello to the black kenzan!

It is a steel kenzan that is stained black by ionic bonding. The tone is smooth and uniform.

It "disappears" inside the black container!

Hardly noticeable! Don't you just love it? :-)

It's that little bit of extra detail that could sometimes spell the difference between a so-so and an outstanding arrangement!

Add the black kenzan to your ikebana arsenal!

We have a collection of black kenzans available. Click here to see!

Fukusa - Formal Gift Cover

Added on December 6, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

In old Japan, gift-giving was a ritual. A tradition of giving gifts covered with a finely embroidered square silk cloth became widespread during the Edo Period (1615-1867). This cloth is called fukusa. Formal gifts were often presented in a box with the fukusa draped over to conceal it. After being appropriately admired, the fukusa and box were returned to the giver whilst the gift was accepted. The choice of fukusa was important to reflect the formality of the occasion and the status of the gift-giver. Some fukusa have tassels so that they can be handled without touching the fabric.

If you've been to the shop lately, you would have seen a pair of fukusa adorning our walls! These days, they are rarely used (except maybe during weddings) but they can be beautiful additions to your home decor! The ones we have depict cranes and pine trees--auspicious symbols of longevity and good fortune.

Please drop by the shop and have a look!

(Note: The fukusa we describe above is different from the fukusa used in the tea ceremony.)

Karako -- Little Children On Japanese Pottery

Added on May 27, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Many of us have probably seen them at one time or another... drawings of cute little children, dressed in Chinese style, on bowls or dishes.

The children are normally depicted as playing under a pine tree, with butterflies and peonies around.

These children are called "karako" (唐子), which literally translate to "Chinese children". "Kara" (唐) is actually the character for the Tang dynasty (618-907) of China, considered by many as the golden age of Chinese culture and power. The little children design on pottery symbolizes health for sons & daughters and longevity/continuity.

The number of children on the design also have significance. You will probably see three, five or seven children. (Always odd, never even number!) The more children on the pottery, the higher is its grade.

This matcha tea bowl has 5 children...and the pine tree is found on the inside of the bowl!

All pottery pictured in this article are available for sale at the shop or by mail order.

Fat Quarters ... So That's What They're Called!

Added on May 24, 2012 by the ikebana shop.

Seeing our selection of Japanese fabric, a customer, who turned out to be an avid quilter, exclaimed, "Oh, fat quarters!"

...which raised about 3 question marks on the top of my head. Fat quarters???

I asked and she kindly explained. "In the quilting world, these are called fat quarters," she declared, pointing at the fabric "end-cuts". For lack of a better term, we had coined the word "end-cut", which had simply been a direct translation of the Japanese hagire (端切れ), to refer to these strips of fabric. (We had previously introduced them in this blog post.)

A standard roll of fabric is 44" wide. Fabric is normally purchased by the yard (36"). So a yard gives you a piece of cloth that's 44" x 36" big. If you want a regular quarter, then you'll get a cut that's 44" wide and only 9" long. Now, a "fat quarter" is when you cut the width in half and a yard-length in half as well...which gives you 22" x 18"...which is still a quarter of the basic yard, only "fatter". Apparently, quilters prefer fat quarters because they are able to cut bigger chunks of fabric for their purposes.

Now, our Japanese fat quarters are a little chubbier, measuring around 22" x 20" ...which makes sense because 20" is about 50cm. And because Japan uses the metric system, these cuts are probably quarter meter (as opposed to yard)!

Later on.... Feeling like a child with a new toy, I put this fresh knowledge to the test. Another customer came to buy a Japanese quilting book. Said it was a present for his mother who loves quilting. So I mentioned casually, "Oh, we have fat quarters too." He knew exactly what I was talking about and said he would bring his mom to the shop next time! Joy! I almost felt like an "Insider"...but reality is I am still just a "name-dropper"! (^_^)

Many patterns available at the shop.

How To Appreciate Ikebana

Added on October 14, 2011 by the ikebana shop.

Here is a little slide presentation that we prepared for Nocturne 2011. We are in Zone 4, #68 in the guidebook. (http://www.nocturnehalifax.ca/)

We hope it will make the experience of seeing our ikebana exhibit more interesting. Please visit the shop on Oct.15th (Sat), 6PM - 12 midnight. See you!

Also, Miyako will be performing live ikebana demonstrations at Pier 21 - Canadian Museum of Immigration.

http://www.pier21.ca/home

Tentative demonstration schedule: 7:30, 8:30, 9:30.

This slide presentation was prepared for our exhibit at the Nocturne 2011, Art At Night event, Oct 15, 2011, 6PM-12 midnight, Halifax NS. Acknowledgements: * All Japan scenery photos were downloaded from Tomo.Yun (www.yunphoto.net/en/), a free stock photo website. * The basic upright arrangement (depicting "heaven, earth and man) is the work of Heather Schellinck.