Figure Daruma Figure Made of Ceramic in White Robe

A Japanese Bodhidharma figure (Daruma) made of ceramic, whose brilliant white robe forms an appealing contrast to the fiercely scowling face of the Indian monk. It is precisely this unusual white coloring, which in Daruma depictions is usually rendered in stronger red or earth tones, that lends the face additional expressive power – face, chest and hands are modeled in relief and left unglazed, so that the monk's fierce features stand out clearly against the glossy white-glazed robe.

Bodhidharma is regarded as the founder of Zen Buddhism in China and is usually depicted in Japanese art with a piercing gaze and a flowing robe, as a symbol of unshakable determination and meditative perseverance.

This figure combines fine Japanese ceramic artistry with one of the best-known motifs of Zen iconography, making it an appealing collector's piece for lovers of Japanese ceramic art.