Symmetry and Aesthetic Judgments in Ikebana: The Japanese Art of Flower Arrangement

This study presents the first investigation of aesthetic evaluation in ikebana, Japanese art of flower arrangement characterised by asymmetry. While symmetry has been central in empirical aesthetics, we examined how subjective and objective symmetry relate to beauty and liking in this significant art form. A total of 245 Japanese adults evaluated 75 professional ikebana images on beauty, liking, and perceived symmetry. Objective symmetry was assessed with computer vision analysis. Contrary to expectations, objective and subjective symmetry were uncorrelated. Subjective symmetry predicted both beauty and liking, with a shallow U-shaped relation for beauty. Ikebana experience moderated this effect, as less experienced participants preferred symmetry more strongly, consistent with cognitive mastering theory. These findings suggest that perceived balance, rather than pixel-level symmetry, drives aesthetic evaluation in ikebana. More broadly, the study shows how cultural expertise shapes aesthetic judgement and highlights the value of examining culturally situated practices for cross-cultural empirical aesthetics.