Figure Bodhidharma (Daruma) Figure with Fierce Gaze Made of Bizen Ware

Bodhidharma, known in Japanese as Daruma, is regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism and is usually depicted in Japanese art with a piercing gaze and striking facial features – an expression of his legendary nine years of meditation in complete stillness.

This Bizen ware figure takes up this image with a particularly fierce, concentrated facial expression. The deep-set eyes, the furrowed brows, and the strong beard are worked out using the unglazed, earth-toned firing technique typical of Bizen ware.

The wood-fired kiln produces dark shadings that further emphasize the stern expression of the face and lend the figure an almost tangible presence. Daruma figures are traditionally regarded in Japan as good-luck charms and a symbol of perseverance, since – similar to the round roly-poly Darumas – they stand for the principle of getting back up after every setback. This rendition, with its intense facial expression, is an impressive variant for collectors of Japanese ceramic art and Buddhist motifs.