Bodhidharma (Daruma)
Attributed to Kano Sanraku 狩野山楽 Japanese
Not on view
Bodhidharma was an Indian monk credited with transmitting Zen Buddhist teachings to China in the 500s. Known as "Daruma" in Japan, he is revered as the first patriarch of Zen. Here he is shown seated, casting his powerful gaze directly at the viewer and biting his lower lip. Following a longstanding approach to the depiction of Bodhidharma in East Asia, the artist emphasizes the figure's unkempt facial and body hair, as well as bulging eyes framed by pronounced eyebrows. He wears simple robes and large earrings. The two red seals at the right edge of the picture, reading "Shūri" and "Mitsuyori," are consistent with those found on works by Kano Sanraku, a follower of the great Momoyama-period master Eitoku (1543–1590) who led the Kyoto branch of Kano School (Kyōgano) in the early decades of the 1600s.
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