Figure Daruma Figure Made of Bizen Ware from the 1930s

One of a kind — this work exists only once.

Period:
Shôwa (1926–1989)
Dimensions (height x width):
30 x 12 cm
Weight:
1.76kg
Item number:
5319

This piece has been sold.

Sold – no longer available

This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.

More items in category Bizen FiguresAll one-of-a-kind Japanese Figures pieces

See new one-of-a-kind pieces first

We feature every delivery from Japan in the newsletter first – before the pieces show up in search results.

About once a week. No spam. Promised. Unsubscribe at any time via the link in each issue.

By signing up you accept our privacy policy.

You might like these pieces

Details about the sold piece

  • ColorBrown
  • MaterialCeramics
  • MotifBuddhism and Zen, Daruma
  • Style / TraditionBizen-yaki

Description

Dating from the 1930s, this expressive Bodhidharma figure made of Bizen ware shows a face with a rare balance between severity and inner calm. The deep-set eyes beneath the strongly modeled brows gaze forward, alert and focused, while the slightly drooping corners of the mouth lend the expression a sense of composure at the same time.

Wrapped in a wide hood pulled over the head, the figure stands with arms crossed in front of the chest – a classic posture that portrays the Zen patriarch as an introspective, unshakeable master. The unglazed surface of the Bizen ware shifts between warm reddish-brown and darker shadings, as is typical of the traditional wood-fired kilns of this region, reinforcing the earthy, immediate impact of the piece.

As a handcrafted one-of-a-kind piece, this figure combines the characteristic roughness of the Bizen-yaki tradition with an unusually fine rendering of the facial features. It is thus an impressive example of how Japanese ceramics can give expression to the motif of the watchful, powerful Bodhidharma.

Frequently asked

Related topics