Figure Daruma Figure Made of Bizen Ware with Pensive Expression

Unlike many depictions with a stern, combative expression, this Daruma Figure Made of Bizen Ware with Pensive Expression shows the Zen patriarch Bodhidharma, called Daruma in Japan, with a rather contemplative gaze directed upward. The expression appears introspective, almost pensive, as if the figure were absorbed in an inner thought or a vision.

The surface bears the reddish-brown coloring typical of Bizen ware, which develops during firing in the wood-fired kiln entirely without glaze. Each figure thereby acquires its own, distinctive color nuance, depending on its position in the kiln, the course of the flames, and ash deposition. The bushy beard and the characteristic shape of the head are nevertheless clearly recognizable as Daruma.

As the founder of Zen Buddhism and a symbol of perseverance and meditation, Daruma is one of the most popular figures of Japanese folk art. This variant, with its unusually gentle, pensive expression, offers collectors an appealing change from the otherwise often sterner depictions.