This
beautifully gilded wood carving depicts Bodhidharma with one
shoe in hand, riding the wave on a banyan leaf crossing the
Yangtze River. Though that he is dressed in a highly detailed
Chinese robe, facial features reveal his non-Chinese origin.
In fact, Bodhidharma, the blue eyed Brahmin was an Indian
Buddhist missionary of royal decent, who arrived China in
A.D. 526. His name in Chinese is Da Mo (Greater than Evil).
He is believed to have visited Japan, where he is known as
Daruma, the God of Fortune. Bodhidharma is regarded as the
chief of the Six Patriarchs of Buddhism. He teaches that perfection
must be sought inward through meditation rather than outward
observances.
Votive
statues of wood, gilded or painted with similar image of Bodhisdharma
have been found through out the centuries in China. In style,
this opulent image of Bodhisdharma follows standards established
at the height of Ming dynasty. Judging from the richly gilded
gold, the color of lacquer and overall quality of the carving,
we would tentatively date the sculpture at 18th to 19th century.
