Kakemono Daruma in Ink (Myōshin-ji)

With just a few powerfully applied brushstrokes, the unmistakable image of Daruma emerges – that legendary Indian monk Bodhidharma, who brought Zen to China in the 5th or 6th century and is regarded as the founder of the Zen tradition. The intense gaze, the distinctive nose, the dense beard, and the heavy, flowing robe are captured with consummate ink technique. The combination of powerful, almost calligraphic lines and the delicate hatching of the beard lends the depiction an extraordinary presence.

Daruma images are among the central motifs of Zen painting. They are far more than portraits – they embody the meditative spirit and the uncompromising focus on inner realization that constitutes the essence of Zen. The depiction is accompanied by a calligraphic inscription and several red seals, which embed the work in its spiritual context.

The painting bears the stamp of Washi Gitoku from Myōshin-ji, the head temple of the Rinzai Myōshin-ji school in Kyōto, and was created in the Showa period. Executed on paper and mounted in a dark blue brocade frame with a gold pattern, this hand-painted unique work is a piece of immediate expressive power and spiritual depth.