One Lifetime, One Meeting (一期一会, ichigo ichie), 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. The four characters are first known from the preface to Ii Naosuke's tea manual, drafted by 1848 and finished in 1858, which names the tea gathering where host and guest 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.