The dove is regarded worldwide as a symbol of peace - but it is not just white and fleeting. Since ancient times, it has carried messages through wars, and after the Second World War, Pablo Picasso's "La Colombe" made it a universal symbol of a humanity longing for reconciliation.
Today marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. This day marks the liberation of Europe from National Socialism and thus provides an opportunity to reflect on peace.
The dove is an ancient symbol of peace that plays an important role in many cultures around the world. In Western tradition, the dove is often associated with the biblical story of Noah, in which it brought an olive branch as a sign of peace and the end of the flood. In Japan and other Asian countries, the dove is also revered as a symbol of harmony and goodwill.
The art of origami, especially known through the story of Sadako Sasaki and her 1000 cranes, also has its roots in the culture of remembrance. Sadako, a young girl from Hiroshima, folds cranes in the face of her approaching death - out of hope. Out of defiance. Out of a desire for peace.
These two doves are a silent echo of this story, and yet a new chapter:
Not the one big wish - but the silent conversation of two souls in space.
1000 doves for peace
The two origami doves are doves from a flock that an Ikebana colleague - herself suffering from cancer - folded, full of hope for health and peace in the world. She gave her white doves as gifts to friends and acquaintances as a sign of peace.
I have integrated them into my ikebana to get in touch with them: ikebana and origami - a silent dialog.
A silent dialog
Two doves rest, born of paper,
in unison with blossom and branch.
They do not speak -
but in their silence dwells a memory,
a promise, a tender hope.
The art of ikebana seeks the essential:
the quiet harmony between form and emptiness,
between growth and decay.
Every line, every shadow has meaning.
Even the unspoken is part of the composition.
Thus, these two origami doves
not only as a symbol of peace,
but as a mirror of our inner movement - between
between closeness and distance,
loss and forgiveness,
transience and preservation.
Invitation
Come closer - take the time to feel
what wants to whisper between the folds.
The dove does not call loudly - but to those
who hear, it calls deeply and silently:
Create peace. Let it fly.
With every look. With every action.
Because even in the smallest work of hands
a new world can emerge.
Doves - whether alive or as delicate origami artworks - are universal signs of what connects people: the desire for peace, hope and a better tomorrow. Origami doves bring this message into our world with quiet beauty and silent power - a piece of paper that becomes a symbol. Perhaps you would also like to fold an origami dove and make a statement? And perhaps you could also incorporate it into an ikebana? I would be delighted to see a photo with your Origami dove.
There are folding instructions on YouTube: Folding of Origami-doves
But arranging ikebana also brings peace and tranquillity to our souls and connects us across national borders.
"Peace begins in the silence of contemplation."
- Zen wisdom
My favorite florist gave me the branches of the blood plum 'Prunus blireana' with which this Shōka Shimputai was created, complemented by French tulips and Asparagus meyeri.