History of Floral Design

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History of Floral Design
Floral Design Mrs. Jennifer Crutchfield
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Why is it important to understand history of
floral design?

• To understand how designs from historical periods
  influence contemporary designs.
• What will you learn?
• Be able to identify origins of floral designs.
• Identify characteristics of mass, line-mass and
  line designs in history.

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How were flowers used through out history?

• Used by people to
• Express their feelings
• Enhance their surroundings
• Commemorate important rituals and observances.
• Personal Adornment

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History Reveals Two Different Styles of Flowers.

• European or Occidental Style- Started in Egypt
  and was later developed by Europeans
• Oriental Style- Started in China and later
  developed by the Japanese

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Oriental Style

• Usually large and symmetrical with one or two
  types of foliage and flowers placed around a
  central branch.
• Lightest colors were used at outer portions of
  design, darker ones kept nearest the base.

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Oriental Style- Line Arrangements

• Oriental styles emphasized simplicity, containing
  few flowers and conservative colors, and, as they
  emphasized lines instead of masses, are known as
  'Line Arrangements'.

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Oriental Style

• Name later changed to Ikebana which means giving
  life to the flowers.

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Oriental Style

• Characterized by minimum use of plant material
  and careful placement of branches and flowers.
• Each placement and angle has meaning.
• This type of arrangement became known as line
  arrangement

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Oriental Style
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European Style

• The European style arrangements from which we
  borrowed were filled with large numbers of
  flowers rich in various colors, and are referred
  to as 'Mass Arrangements'.

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European Style
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European Style

• Generally large, round or oval mass of flowers
• Flower placement is not rigidly dictated as in
  oriental design

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Floral Designs in European Periods How did the
Mass Style Flower Arrangement Evolve?

• Middle Ages-
• Renaissance
• Baroque
• French
• English-Georgian
• Victorian

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Middle Ages

• Not much is known about floral design
• This is the period between the ancient and modern
  times in European history
• 476 to 1450 AD
• Flowers were an important part of life
• Used for
• Medicine
• Air fresheners flower petals put on ground and
  walked on to freshen air.
• Wreaths and Garlands
• Personal Adornment
• Decorations

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Renaissance

• Period in Europe after Middle Ages
• Flowers are often shown in vases in paintings.
• Great emphasis is placed on flower meaning
• Mass of flowers
• Rarely see the stems
• Each flower does stand out
• Patterned after the clasical greek and roman
  Styles

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Baroque PeriodEra following the Renaissance in
Europe

• Art is no longer just for the church or nobility,
  it is now accessible to the middle class
• Paintings show arrangements in everyday settings
• Many interiors were overdecorated and gaudy
• Designs became more creative and expressive

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French Period (17th 18th century France)

• Also known as the Grand Era
• Associated with the courtly life
• Emphasis was on classic design, refinement, and
  elegance
• Designs were often fan shaped and massed

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English-Georgian Period(18th century England)

• Named for English Kings George I, II, III
• Fragrance was very important in flower selection
  because it was thought to rid disease
• English created the nosegay to safeguard from
  illness
• Flowers became part of fashion in hair, around
  necks, and in décolletage
• Arrangements were formal symmetrical
• Often used Nosegay to smell because of bad smells
  of self and others.

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Nosegay

• Many times the nosegay was given as a gift as
  each flower had a meaning.

• You can easily make a nosegay from items from
  your yard.

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Victorian Era

• Named for Queen Victoria who reigned in England
  from 1837 to 1901
• Victorian interiors were lavishly decorated in
  heavy colors and patterns

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Victorian Era Design Characteristics

• Time of great enthusiasm about flowers floral
  design was taught and recognized as art
• First attempt to establish rules for floral
  arranging
• Described as grouping large masses of flowers,
  foliage, and grasses together to create a design
  with no center of interest
• Usually round or oval shaped arrangements

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Victorian Era Characteristics

• Two or Three Tiered Flower Arrangements.

• Tight mass of flowers with foliage around edges.

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History influence on todays floral design.

• American floral design uses more materials than
  the Oriental but far fewer than the European
• US floral design is often built around linear
  patterns, showing the Oriental influence.

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Historical influence on todays floral design.

• Most floral designs in the US are referred to as
  line mass and combine Oriental and European
  ideas

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Student Activity

1. Select pictures of European, Oriental, and
   American Floral Designs find at least three
   pictures of each type of design, label each
   picture with the type of design that it
   represents Remember to also label if the design
   is a line design, mass design, or a line mass
   design. Tape the picture on a piece of white
   printer paper.
2. You may choose to used pictures from interior,
   home furninshing magazines or the internet.

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Flower Arrangement Activity

• http//www.ubloom.com/index.php?optioncom_content
  taskviewid309Itemid152

• You will be creating an Oriental Style Line
  Flower Arrangement.
• Make a list of the items you will need
• 1/3 piece of floral foam
• Low bowl or small desert plate
• Floral tape
• 2 Branches (any type)
• 10 large Leaves they can be the same as the
  Leaves From the Branch or they can be hosta
  leaves, canna lilly.
• 3 Flowers with a large head. You can use Zinia,
  Carnation, Crepe Myrtal Blooms, Roses
• Please try to find flowers in and around your
  school or yard(Any Found flower will work for
  this arrangement)

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Quiz

• What are some practical reasons for knowing the
  history of floral art?
• What are some reasons for changing design styles
  across time?
• What are some floral traditions of ancient
  civilizations?
• How did European traditions influence American
  design?

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Quiz

• Explain how the oriental and European floral
  design styles have influenced the types of flower
  shop arrangements sold today.
• What are the two historical types of floral
  design?
• How are the two types of floral design different
  in their looks?
• Name your favorite period of floral design.