Autumn Tanabata Exhibition｜旧七夕会

Each November the Ikenobo school of ikebana prepares a large Autumn Tanabata Exhibition to showcase a wide variety of both traditional and contemporary Japanese flower arrangements.  This event is called Kyūtanabata-e (Ancient Star Festival Gathering) in Japanese, referring to the exhibition's roots as part of the celebration of Tanabata.  This festival was traditionally held on the seventh night of the seventh lunar month as one of the Gosekku, five seasonal festivals celebrated by the imperial court.  Though these rituals were abolished at the government level in the 19^th century, the Ikenobo school continued to honor their tradition of arranging flowers for the season, and the event became known as the Kyūtanabata-e.

The Autumn Tanabata Exhibition is held at exhibition halls at the Ikenobo headquarters at Rokkaku-dō temple and the Takashimaya or Daimaru department store in mid-November, and the tickets cover admission at both sites for 1,000 yen (or free for children up through high school age, as well as visitors wearing kimono).  Amongst the countless arrangements on display during the exhibition you will find ikebana both miniature and gigantic in scale, as well as a range of colors from subtle tones to the brightest of tropical shades! 

The Ikenobo school recognizes three styles of arrangement, and there will be representations of the rikka, shōka, and free style throughout the display space.  (For more information on the characteristics of these styles, check Ikenobo's website.)  Though most of the pieces put forward are made by instructors, there are grand ikebana displayed at both venues done by Ikenobo Sen’ei, the forty-fifth generation Headmaster, and Ikenobo Senkō, Headmaster Designate.

Take a look at some of the gorgeous ikebana arrangements that were on display at the Autumn Tanabata Exhibition 2017, and prepare to immerse yourselves in this year's art!