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Letter of Acceptance

Sen Sōtan Japanese
first half 17th century
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 228
Sen Sōtan, grandson of the revered tea master Sen no Rikyū (1522–1591), was the third-generation head of the Sen family and played a pivotal role in preserving and transmitting the tradition of Japanese tea. Eventually, three of Sōtan’s four sons went on to establish schools of tea that continue to the present day—Omotesenke, Urasenke, and Mushakōjisenke. This letter, dated the ninth day of the fourth lunar month, is signed “Fushin’an Sōtan”—a name that Sōtan used when writing from a tea house located in the Omotesenke estate in Kyoto. The letter expresses Sōtan’s pleasure at the prospect of the recipient attending an informal tea gathering (chakai) with several friends following a formal tea gathering (chaji)—both scheduled for two days later—and imparts his gratitude for the gift of flowers.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 千宗旦筆　書状
  • Title: Letter of Acceptance
  • Artist: Sen Sōtan (Japanese, 1578–1658)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: first half 17th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 10 1/4 × 15 7/16 in. (26 × 39.2 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 42 1/8 × 16 5/8 in. (107 × 42.3 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 42 1/8 × 18 3/4 in. (107 × 47.6 cm)
  • Classification: Calligraphy
  • Credit Line: Gift of Peggy and Richard M. Danziger, 2024
  • Object Number: 2024.553.18
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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