Bodhidharma (Daruma)

Kano Sanraku 狩野山楽

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.

Metropolitan Museum of Art