Figure Japanese Bodhidharma (Daruma) Figure Made of Hardwood

Carved from dense, heavy hardwood, this figure depicts the Indian Zen monk Bodhidharma (Japanese: Daruma) with an unusually stern, almost grim facial expression. The deeply carved eyes beneath the powerful brows and the slightly open mouth lend the gaze a penetrating intensity that is rather rare for depictions of this motif. The figure was worked in the traditional Ittobori style, a Japanese carving technique in which a few powerful knife cuts create an angular, expressive surface without smoothing the contours.

The seated figure, wrapped in a wide robe, has its arms crossed in front of the body, creating a closed, resting silhouette that stands in contrast to the intensity of the face. For a wooden object, the figure is remarkably heavy, which is due to the density of the hardwood used. The surface is covered with a beautiful, evenly matured patina, of a quality rarely preserved in wooden figures of this age.

The piece dates to the Meiji period (1868–1912) and is a handcrafted one-of-a-kind piece with no counterpart. For collectors of Japanese wood carving art and lovers of the Daruma motif, this figure is a particularly appealing piece due to its unusually powerful presence and rare material density.