We were fortunate to receive this artistic work as a memento for the 30th anniversary of our shop. The artist who presented the gift has a great talent and moreover a heart full of friendship for everyone.
While admiring this beautiful frame at home, I decided to study about Oshibana.
Oshibana is a pressed flower craft. The art consists of drying flower petals and leaves in a flower press to flatten and exclude light and moisture. Pressing flowers makes them appear flat. Often there is a change in color, ranging from faded colors to a greater intensity of vibrant colors. The pressed flowers and leaves are then used for a variety of craft projects. They are often mounted on special paper. With meticulous attention to detail, each leaf and flower is glued onto a precise location. With a creative approach to the use of materials, any form can be made, such as in this example a couple of Japanese Red-crowned cranes.
There is a relation between the art of pressed flowers and lace. The decorative design of lace can be perceived everywhere. The bare branches of winter, the patterns of the clouds, the surface of the water as it ripples in the breeze, the feathers of the Japanese cranes…
For thousands of years the Japanese culture has treasured the crane as a symbol of honor and loyalty.
Many different cultures have taken the cranes as symbols of marital fidelity and love. The Red-crowned crane (Grus Japonensis) has one of the most beautiful dances in the bird world. Crane dances have a very important purpose. Adult cranes live in male-female pairs, and these dances help strengthen the bond between the two birds.
The Red-crowned crane is also a symbol for peace and harmony.
The Red-crowned crane is one of the most endangered of the 15 crane species. Red-crowned cranes have their habitat on the borders of China and Russia. A cooperation between the two countries started to protect these rare birds.
This protection is a model for international cooperation for conservation. If these birds are lost, the people of Asia will have lost an important symbol of luck and peace.
I wanted to find out more about the fact that cranes are so important as a symbol of peace. I discovered a very fascinating story. It is a sad story but I think everyone in the world should know about this little girl who was killed by the war but challenged for world peace.
Paper Crane, the Story of Sadako Sasaki and her struggle with the A-bomb disease.
Sadako Sasaki, 佐々木 禎子 , was born in Hiroshima, Japan, in 1943.
Sadako's parents hoped she would grow up healthy.
On August 6, 1945, when Sadako was two years old, the atomic bomb was dropped near her home by Misasa Bridge in Hiroshima, Japan.
However she survived the fire sea . Sadako grew up a happy and active child.
When she was 10 however, she collapsed while running during a race at her school. She was taken to hospital and diagnosed with leukemia or "an atom bomb disease."
Sadako's best friend Chizuko Hamamoto came to the hospital to visit her. Chizuko cut a golden piece of paper into a square and folded it into a paper crane. At first Sadako didn't understand why Chizuko was doing this.
Chizuko told the story about the paper cranes. The belief in Japan is that one who folds 1,000 cranes is granted a wish. Sakako was encouraged by the thought to be able to make a wish. Inspired by the story, Sadako began folding cranes by herself.
Because she lacked paper, Sadako started to fold origami cranes from medicine wrappings and the wrapping from the presents people brought to the hospital.
The crane is a symbol of great fortune in China and Japan. To be blessed by one thousand cranes is to be fortunate beyond belief. Sadako prayed that if she could fold one thousand cranes she would get better and be able to leave the hospital. Sadako’s earnest wish was to play with her friends again.
Slowly, Sadako saw the other people in her ward dying. No-one ever got better. No one ever left except to die. Sadako knew that her prayer would not be answered. So she changed her solemn request.
Sadako prayed that if she could fold one thousand cranes, people would live in peace. That there would be no more Hiroshima's, no more Nagasaki's, no more wars. Sadako prayed for world peace.
On October 25th, 1955, Sadako”s life slipped away from her. She never woke up again.
After Sadako was gone from this world, children joined together to raise money for a peace park in Hiroshima, and a statue of Sadako holding a crane. In 1958 the statue of Sadako Sasaki was unveiled in Hiroshima Peace Park.
Sadako's story started to spread around the world.
A small peace park with a statue of Sadako was also created in Seattle, Washington. Sadako's story is used to teach children about the consequences of war. The story might enforce the power of individuals to bring about a peaceful change on earth.
The Peace Flame in Hiroshima will remain alight until all nuclear bombs are decommissioned. Every year, on August the 6th, a memorial service is held. White doves are released to bring the message of peace to all corners of the world.
Every year on November the 17th, World Peace day, thousands of people send cranes to be placed upon Sadako’s statue in Japan as well as in Seatle.
Children from all over the world fold origami paper cranes in memory of Sadako Sasaki. The cranes are threaded on long strings to be draped over the statue.
Let’s remember Sadako and her thousand paper cranes. The beautiful Red-crowned cranes of Japan can spread their wings in peace and harmony over the world.