Doll" representing Daruma; white face, black hair, red body w/cross-hatching and diagonals in gold and black; gold foil circle on chest; papier mache, paint, plaster weighted base. Paint, gold foil, papier mache, paster. Japan unsp. "Daruma is a symbol of enlightenment and patience. He is Japan's most popular mascot. Daruma embodies the idea of indomitable resilience as he cannot be toppled over...The Daruma dolls of Japan are named after an Indian Buddhist priest named Bodhidarma...[who] remained seated, absorbed in mediation, for nine years...During this time temptations were heaped upon him by evil spirits without any results...At the end of nine years his limbs had all withered away...Usually the doll is male with a white face and black hair..."Folk toys in Japan have been more than childhood playthings...they have also been objects of art to be appreciated and enshrined on a Shinto altar as a symbol of belief.....". Traditional Toys of Japan, Craft & Folk Art Museum, Los Angeles - see copy of page in acc. env. H. 8 cm.
Donor:
Barbara E. Busch
Collection place:
Japan
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Dolls (figurines)
Function:
5.1 Religion and Divination: Objects and garb associated with practices reflecting submission, devotion, obedience, and service to supernatural agencies