千利休像に遺偈 (Sen no Rikyū zō ni yuige) |Portrait of Sen no Rikyū with his Death Poem
early 17th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; color on silk
Dimensions
Image: 30 9/16 × 13 1/2 in. (77.7 × 34.3 cm) Overall with mounting: 63 3/8 × 14 5/8 in. (161 × 37.1 cm) Overall with knobs: 63 3/8 × 16 in. (161 × 40.6 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2020
Accession Number
2020.396.20
Tags
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 ...