Guide to Flower Arrangements in Korea Throughout History

Flower arrangement in Korea has a rich and distinctive history that reflects the nation’s philosophical traditions, aesthetic sensibilities, and cultural exchanges with neighboring countries. Unlike the more widely known Japanese ikebana, Korean flower arrangement—known as kkotkkoji (꽃꽂이)—has developed its own unique characteristics while maintaining deep connections to Korean Buddhism, Confucianism, and indigenous shamanic practices.

Ancient and Three Kingdoms Period (57 BCE – 668 CE)

The earliest evidence of floral culture in Korea dates back to the Three Kingdoms period. During this era, flowers held religious and symbolic significance, particularly within Buddhist contexts after Buddhism’s introduction in the 4th century CE.

Buddhist Influences: Lotus flowers became central to Buddhist altar offerings, symbolizing purity and enlightenment. Early arrangements were simple, focusing on single stems or small groupings placed before Buddha statues. Temple records indicate that monks created floral offerings called gongyang (供養), though these were more about devotional presentation than artistic arrangement.

Royal and Aristocratic Use: Murals from Goguryeo tombs show pottery vessels containing flowering branches, suggesting that the aristocracy incorporated flowers into their living spaces. These early arrangements emphasized natural growth patterns rather than structured design.

Unified Silla and Goryeo Dynasty (668 – 1392)

The Goryeo period marked significant development in Korean floral arts, coinciding with Buddhism’s golden age in Korea.

Temple Flower Arrangements: Buddhist temples developed more sophisticated arrangement styles for ceremonial purposes. The hwabun (花盆, flower basin) style emerged, featuring shallow ceramic bowls filled with water and seasonal flowers. Arrangements often included:

• Lotus flowers and leaves in summer
• Chrysanthemums in autumn
• Plum blossoms in late winter/early spring
• Peonies in spring

Celadon and Flowers: Goryeo’s famous celadon pottery provided elegant vessels for flower arrangements. The refined ceramics influenced arrangement aesthetics, with simpler, more minimalist presentations that allowed both vessel and flowers to be appreciated.

Philosophical Foundations: The integration of Buddhist principles of impermanence and natural beauty shaped arrangement philosophy. Flowers were meant to appear as if still growing, with minimal human intervention visible.

Joseon Dynasty (1392 – 1910)

The Joseon period brought profound changes as Confucianism replaced Buddhism as the state ideology, fundamentally transforming floral culture.

Early to Middle Joseon

Literati Aesthetics: The Confucian scholar-official class (yangban) developed a sophisticated floral culture tied to their study rooms and gardens. Key principles included:

• Simplicity and restraint: Elaborate arrangements were considered vulgar
• Scholarly flowers: The “Four Gentlemen” (plum, orchid, chrysanthemum, bamboo) were favored for their symbolic virtues
• Natural placement: Flowers should appear unstudied and spontaneous

Vessels and Settings: Scholars preferred:

• Simple white porcelain vases
• Bronze vessels from earlier dynasties
• Bamboo containers
• Natural materials like gourds

Arrangements were placed in study rooms (sarangbang) alongside books, paintings, and scholarly objects. A single branch of plum blossom in a ceramic vase embodied the scholar’s appreciation for austere beauty.

Women’s Quarters: In contrast, the women’s quarters (anchae) featured more colorful and abundant arrangements, particularly during festivals and celebrations. These arrangements were less documented due to Confucian gender segregation but played important roles in domestic rituals and seasonal celebrations.

Late Joseon Developments

Seasonal Flower Culture: Detailed seasonal protocols developed:

• Spring: Forsythia, azalea, cherry blossoms, pear blossoms
• Summer: Lotus, day lilies, balloon flowers
• Autumn: Chrysanthemums, asters, gentians
• Winter: Plum blossoms, pine branches, bamboo

Royal Court Arrangements: Palace protocols specified particular flowers for state ceremonies and royal celebrations. The Jinyeon Uigwe (court banquet records) document elaborate floral decorations for royal events, including large standing arrangements and floral screens.

Folk Traditions: Common people developed their own floral practices:

• Shamanic rituals incorporated specific flowers and branches
• Agricultural festivals featured grain stalks and field flowers
• Weddings and funerals had prescribed floral elements
• Dano Festival (5th day of 5th lunar month) featured iris arrangements believed to ward off evil spirits

Japanese Colonial Period (1910 – 1945)

This painful period saw the introduction of Japanese ikebana to Korea, which had complex effects on Korean floral traditions.

Suppression and Adaptation: While Japanese authorities promoted ikebana as part of cultural assimilation policies, Korean practitioners maintained indigenous approaches in private. Some Koreans learned ikebana techniques but adapted them to Korean sensibilities.

Loss of Traditional Knowledge: The disruption of traditional education systems and the emphasis on Japanese culture led to gaps in the transmission of classical Korean arrangement knowledge, particularly the literati traditions.

Modern Era (1945 – Present)

The post-liberation period saw efforts to revive and systematize Korean flower arrangement traditions.

Post-Liberation Revival (1945-1970s)

Distinguishing from Ikebana: Korean practitioners and scholars worked to identify and emphasize distinctive Korean characteristics:

• Natural placement: Korean arrangements emphasize how flowers grow in nature
• Less manipulation: Fewer wires, minimal bending of stems
• Breathing space: More open compositions with emphasis on empty space
• Vessel harmony: Greater attention to the relationship between container and flowers
• Asymmetry with balance: Like Korean pottery, arrangements balance imperfection with harmony

Pioneers: Figures like Choi Kang-hee and Kim Moon-ja helped document traditional practices and develop modern Korean flower arrangement pedagogy.

Contemporary Development (1980s – Present)

Institutionalization: Several schools and organizations emerged:

• Korean Flower Arrangement Association (한국꽃꽂이협회)
• Various institutes teaching distinctly Korean methods
• Integration into cultural education programs

Characteristics of Modern Korean Style:

1. Wonhyeong (원형, circular/natural form): Arrangements that mirror natural growth patterns, often with stems appearing to emerge from a single point
2. Jayeon-mi (자연미, natural beauty): Emphasizing the inherent beauty of materials with minimal manipulation
3. Yeobaek (여백, negative space): The Korean concept of meaningful emptiness, similar to but distinct from Japanese ma
4. Seasonal authenticity: Strong preference for seasonal materials reflecting current weather and holidays
5. Integration of native plants: Emphasis on Korean wildflowers and indigenous species:
   • Korean bellflowers (doraji)
   • Royal azaleas (철쭉)
   • Korean forsythia (개나리)
   • Magnolias (목련)

Contemporary Innovations: Modern Korean florists blend traditional principles with contemporary aesthetics:

• Wedding arrangements incorporating hanbok colors
• Corporate displays balancing modernity with Korean design principles
• International recognition of Korean aesthetic in floral design competitions

Buddhist Temple Traditions: Many traditional Buddhist temples maintain centuries-old practices of bulgong (佛供, offerings to Buddha), with monks continuing to create arrangements following historical methods.

Philosophical Principles

Throughout Korean history, several core philosophical concepts have guided flower arrangement:

Cheon-ji-in (천지인, Heaven-Earth-Human): The three elements of existence represented in arrangement structure, with the tallest stem representing heaven, medium representing humanity, and shortest representing earth.

Um-yang (음양, Yin-Yang): Balance of opposites—light and dark, solid and void, movement and stillness.

Jayon (자연, Nature): The supreme value placed on naturalness and avoiding artificiality. The Korean term carries connotations of “self-so-ness”—things being as they inherently are.

Puljeolhan-mi (불절한미, beauty of imperfection): Appreciation for asymmetry, irregularity, and the marks of natural process, similar to but predating wabi-sabi.

Florist viewpoint

Korean flower arrangement history reveals a tradition that has maintained distinctive characteristics despite cultural exchanges and historical disruptions. While less systematized than Japanese ikebana, Korean kkotkkoji reflects a philosophical approach valuing spontaneity, naturalness, and the subtle beauty of restraint. From Buddhist temple offerings to Confucian scholar’s studios, from shamanic rituals to contemporary urban florists, Korean floral arts continue to express a unique aesthetic vision rooted in centuries of cultural refinement.

The ongoing revival and international recognition of Korean flower arrangement represents not merely the preservation of tradition but its living evolution, as contemporary practitioners find new ways to express ancient principles in modern contexts.