Roots

Historically, together with the kakemono i.e. vertical painting with a Buddhist motto engraved on it, hanaire - a single plant vase, and the chabana - a flower for the tea ceremony, were chosen for simplicity and elegance and in accordance with the current season. Today, they are used in a less conservative way in contemporary interiors, but they play a similar role.

Contemporary hanaire

For me, a hanaire is a dignified, modest and very elegant furnishing element that allows a subtle connection to nature. I see great beauty in the modesty of a single sprig passing before my eyes, which does not impose itself with its splendour like traditional bouquets. Sen no Rikyū, regarded as the creator of the Chanoyū (The Way of Tea), taught that flowers for the tea ceremony should be arranged 'as they grow in the field', i.e. so that the full life of a given plant can be seen. He believed that the beauty of nature can be seen in just a single plant. It allows you to focus on the details, to watch it slowly pass away, and reminds of what is outside the window.

Hanaire is a great example of a piece of traditional Japanese furnishings that delights design connoisseurs around the world with its simplicity and meaning. Today I'd like to show you my favourite hanaires. Each from a different corner of the world.