Inner Joy from Profound Wisdom and Deep Meditation

JAPAN; Meiji period

The text featured on this seal was derived from a phrase found in Biography of Tiantai Patriarch Master Zhiyi. The account describes Master Zhiyi’s meditation practice on Tiantaishan, and his success in achieving inner joy while amid a particularly secluded and harsh environment.
Originally named Tokumatsu and also known as Bokusen, Kawai Senro was a seal engraver from Kyoto who lived during the late Meiji (1868–1912) and early Showa (1926–1989) periods. Distinguished for his accomplishments in calligraphy, painting, and seal engraving, he was a prominent figure among modern artists in Japan. He was adept in appraising steles inscriptions, and specialized in both the seal and clerical scripts of the Qin (221–207 BCE) and Han (206 BCE–220 CE) dynasties. He studied under Wu Changshuo in China in the year 1900, and became the first Japanese member of the Xiling Seal Art Society.
This work is comprised of eight square seal script characters, enclosed in an oval frame and made up of sharp, robust cuts, expressing the engraver’s boldness. The symmetrical layout of the characters results in a well-balanced albeit spirited effect.