Daruma Figure Made of Black Kutani Porcelain
Sold – no longer available
This piece was a handmade one-of-a-kind work. It cannot be reordered and will never exist in this form again. The page stays online as part of our archive.
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Details about the sold piece
- Height 14.5 cm
- Width 13 cm
- Weight 1 g
- Color Black
- Item Type Figure
- Material Porcelain
- Period of Creation Taishô (1912–1926)
- Style / Tradition Kutani-yaki
- Unique Work Yes
No longer available
Description
Seated in deep contemplation, head resting thoughtfully on crossed arms, this Bodhidharma appears in an unusual, almost meditative posture for the motif. The glossy black Kutani porcelain lends the figure a dense, almost weightless quality, giving the otherwise rugged character of the Zen patriarch a surprisingly quiet note.
The wide robe falls in clearly worked folds over the kneeling figure, while the face with closed eyes and slightly drooping ears captures a moment of inner reflection, rather than the usual alert, penetrating expression. This interpretation of the motif makes the piece a pleasant departure among the numerous depictions of the legendary monk, which mostly emphasize his severity and vigilance.
The figure was crafted in the Taishô period (1912–1926) as a hand-worked one-of-a-kind piece from Kutani porcelain, known for its fine glaze quality. The evenly deep black glaze and the carefully modeled details of the robe's folds speak to the high craftsmanship of the workshop from which this piece originates.
