Kakemono Daruma Round Dance

"Nanakorobi yaoki" – fall down seven times, get up eight: this well-known Japanese proverb about perseverance and confidence is at the center of this unusually playful hanging scroll, which shows several round-bodied Daruma figures tumbling and righting themselves again, taking its own unconventional path within classical Bodhidharma iconography.

Instead of the usual single, meditatively solemn Bodhidharma depiction, numerous small Daruma dolls, rendered in cheerful colors of red, gray, and orange, romp across the picture field in lighthearted motion – a humorous yet profound commentary on the indestructibility of human will. A line of calligraphy with signature and red seal completes the composition at the upper edge of the image.

The image is painted on silk, fitted with a jikusaki made of bone, and dates from the Taishô period. With its unusual, tongue-in-cheek interpretation of a traditional motif, this hanging scroll is particularly suited to anyone who appreciates Japanese art with wit and a positive message about life and who would enjoy a cheerful, good-humored wall picture.