Lotus in Bloom

Taki Katei specialized in Chinese literati style painting which he learned from Japanese masters Araki Kankai and O_oka Umpo_ but, also from Chinese scholar painters living in Nagasaki. The small scale of this painting, its seasonal and symbolic theme make it appropriate for use in the tea ceremony. The lotus has long been a Buddhist emblem, representing the perfection and flowering of the Buddha's teachings. The inscription may be translated: Untainted by muddy waters, The most fragrant of flowers.