Daruma in a Boat with an Attendant
Suzuki Harunobu Japanese
Not on view
In an unusual display of vanity, Daruma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, extracts hairs from his chin with a tweezer as he leans over the edge of a boat, using the river as a mirror. The waves merge into the lines created by his reflection, and the ripple of water in front of the boat mimics his curled hand.
Ukiyo-e artists often parodied revered figures, particularly Daruma, as a means of exposing the hypocrisy of society. During the Edo period, the word daruma became a slang expression for a courtesan, and darumaya meant a brothel. Many prints portrayed Daruma with courtesans or courtesans as Daruma.
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