Kakemono Bodhidharma with Piercing Gaze

With bushy eyebrows, a piercing gaze, and a flowing beard, this portrait of Bodhidharma fills nearly the entire pictorial surface. The coarse, powerful ink lines and the striking, almost caricature-like exaggerated facial features lend the depiction an immediate, almost tangible presence. Particularly striking are the large earrings, a detail rarely found in depictions of the Zen patriarch, which gives the figure an additional, individual character trait.

As the founder of Zen Buddhism and legendary wandering monk, Bodhidharma embodies perseverance, willpower, and unshakable determination. Painted on paper and fitted with a jikusaki made of wood, this hand-painted unique work from the Shôwa period is an expressive portrait for lovers of Zen iconography and Japanese ink painting.