Kirei-sabi — literally "beautiful sabi" — names the aesthetic of Kobori Enshu: Rikyu's wabi and sabi kept as a base, with brightness, formal poise, and composure added.
Origins
Enshu produced it by fusing waka poetry, the classics, and shoin culture with wabi tea, and it became the criterion by which he selected the Edo-period celebrated utensils known as chuko meibutsu.
In practice
The phrase is used in discussing the Enshu lineage — "a kirei-sabi combination", "kirei-sabi in Enshu's taste". It marks a real historical alternative within the tradition: the point at which wabi stopped being the only defensible direction.
About this article
Edited by the operator of Chaen (a one-person operation) / Last updated:
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Related terms
- Enshu-ryuEnshu-ryu
A warrior-class school built on Kobori Enshu's taste, known for the refined aesthetic called kirei-sabi.
- Kobori EnshuKobori Enshu
The early-Edo daimyo tea master (1579–1647) who established the refined aesthetic called kirei-sabi.
- Sabisabi
The sense of beauty in age, wear, and quiet that the passage of time produces; spoken of alongside wabi.