Ikebana basket (hanakago) made of dark varnished bamboowickerwork, elongated rounded shape, with a handle made of three varnished wooden branches. Thicker bamboo braids on the four sides. The roughness of the handle is a reminder of a raw wood and contrasts with the delicate weaving braiding of the basket.Ikebanaor Ka-do(the way of flowers) is a traditional Japanese art of flower arrangement. Unlike Western floral art, ikebanadoes not aim to emphasize only the beauty of the flowers and the harmony of colours. This art wants to enhance the vase, the stems,the leaves, the branches as much as the flower itself.The structure of the floral arrangement is based on three symbols: the sky, the earth and humanity. Ikebanais a tradition of floral art that dates back over thirteen centuries. Japan was inspired bythe floral art of China at the beginning of the 7th century. The Tangdynasty then radiated throughout the Eastern world and the Japanese ambassadors brought back with Buddhism the custom of floral offerings -kuge-to Buddhist altars and stupas.The ambassador Ono no Imoko became the priest Senmu, and was the first in Japan to codify floral art. He preferred to the Confucian exuberance the Buddhist sobriety and the Trinitarianprinciple’s classic rigor than we still find today in many Japanese bouquets.Japan –Shôwa Era (1926-1989) Basket: Height without handle : 10.8 in. (27.4 cm) / with handle 17.7 in. (45 cm) –Width : 7.5 in. (19 cm) -Depth : 10.2 in. (25.9 cm)