Calligraphy in two characters, “Harmony and Respect” (Wa kei)

Calligraphic works by famous tea and Zen masters are highly prized by tea practitioners. This hanging scroll is one such example by Sen Soshitsu XV (now known as Genshitsu), the fifteenth head and former grand tea master of Urasenke, one of the largest tea schools in Japan.

The calligraphy represents the first two characters of a longer phrase, wa kei sei jaku (harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility), which embodies the basic principles of the tea practice of chanoyu (literally, “hot water for tea”). “Harmony” and “respect” in tea practice signify not only friendship and cooperation between host and guests but also having an affinity with nature and the everchanging seasons as well as handling inanimate objects such as utensils with care.