It is the head family of the Senke founded by SEN no Rikyu and, Omote-senke is one of the san-Senke (literally, "the three Sen houses"), the other two being Omote-senke and Mushanokoji-senke.
千利休を祖とする千家の本家にあたり、裏千家・武者小路千家と共に三千家と呼ばれる。