千利休像に遺偈 (Sen no Rikyū zō ni yuige) |Portrait of Sen no Rikyū with his Death Poem

Art Historical Context

This evocative hanging scroll, titled *Portrait of Sen no Rū with his Death Poem captures the legendary tea master Sen noikyū (1522–1591) in a moment of profound introspection. Created by the artist Joshin-sai Sōsa in the early 17th century during Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), it depicts Rikyū alongside his *yuige*—a death poem inscribed before his forced seppuku ordered by warlord Toyotomi Hideoshi. Rikyū, revered as the father of the tea ceremony (*chanoyu*), championed the wabi-sabi aesthetic of rustic simplicity and impermanence, influencing Japanese culture deeply. Rendered in vibrant color on silk, the medium exemplifies Edo-period portraiture, where hanging scrolls were unrolled for intimate viewing in tea rooms or temples, blending painting and calligraphy. The composition likely emphasizes Rikyū's serene expression and the poem's poignant verses, evoking themes of transience and enlightenment central to Zen Buddhism and tea practice. A gift to the Metropolitan Museum of Art from the Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection in 2020, this work offers a rare glimpse into the veneration of Rikyū posthumously, as his legacy endured despite his tragic end, shaping artistic and philosophical traditions for centuries.