Kawakami Sosetsu (Jitokusai) 1738–1822

Kawakami Sosetsu (Jitokusai) 1738–1822

Tobi-ishi (Stepping Stones)

Hanging scroll, ink on paper

Painting: 32 x 48.5 cm

Mounts: 124 x 56.5 cm 

Signature: Jitokusai Sosetsu

Seals: Sosetsu

Tobi-ishi are stepping stones placed in tea gardens, introduced by Tea master Sen-no-Rikyu, as he did not like that sandals and shoes became dirty when walking on the bare soil.

Walking on a stepping stone path requires much more attention than walking on a paved surface – the visitor has to make tiny jumps to get from one stone to another. This influences the way a visitor experiences the garden. While it is possible for two or more people to comfortably walk next to each other on neatly laid out paths and maybe have a conversation, a stepping stone path forces the visitors to go in line, one after the other. While walking down the path to the tea house, the guests have time to "arrive" in the garden, leave their everyday life behind and prepare mentally for the tea ceremony to come.

The stones are here painted in an asymmetric path, as traditional for the Way of Tea, using the natural drying of the paintbrush to simulate an atmospheric perspective.

Jitokusai was the second master of the Edo Senke Tea ceremony school, founded by Kawakami Fuhaku, who became a tea master under the 7th generation head of the Omotesenke line before moving to Edo (Tokyo), where he devoted himself to developing the Omotesenke style of the Way of Tea in the capital.

NVENTORY NR: alt-1587

Painting for sale. Price on application.