Ichigo Ichie, One Lifetime, One Meeting (一期一会), Original Brushwork
一期一会 (ichigo ichie), "one lifetime, one meeting," hand-brushed by Master Calligrapher Eri Takase inside an ensō, the circle drawn in a single stroke of the brush. 一期 (ichigo) is one lifetime, from birth to death. 一会 (ichie) is one meeting, and in the tea ceremony, one gathering for tea. Ii Naosuke coined the four-character phrase about 1845, in the preface to his tea manual, to say that host and guest should each meet as though the day will not come again. Today it is said of any meeting that happens only once. The sheet carries Eri's signature, 英利, and her red seal. This is the original brushwork, unmounted, and there is only one.