Daruma, the founder of Zen Buddhism is the Japanese name for the 6th Century
Indian sage Bodhidharma. In this artful ivory netsuke, Daruma holds one of his
key accouterments , the hossu, (a fly whisk) that swishes away of delusive thoughts
and distractions.
For
seven years Daruma sat in single-pointed meditation. It is said that when he dozed
off he was furious and immediately cut off his eyelids throwing them to the Mother
Earth where they flowered into the first green tea plants. The leaves of the tea
plant are symbolized on this netsuke by the intricate vines carved gracefully
onto Daruma's back. To this day an early form of the tea ceremony is carried out
in some Zen monasteries in Japan in honor of Daruma.
The patina, style and the lack of signature on this netsuke places this
figure in the late-19th century. Its unusual realism signifies it as an excellent
find. (SD)
