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Bakuchi doogu ー Dice Holder with Daruma 博打道具入れ

Rather unusual late Meiji (1910s) miniature Japanese bronze dice holder pendant in a shape of sitting Zen Buddhism patriarch Daruma wearing his monastic robe and holding an open book in his hand. The material of the piece appears to be silver, golden wash on the face. A panel on the bottom slides to the side to reveal a space for holding tiny dice (not included). Ring on top for hanging, overall in excellent shape. Height with ring 5/8 inches. Dimitry Levit Asian Art http://www.trocadero.com/dmitry/items/191988/item191988store.html#item Dharma was originally an ancient sage in Hindu mythology worshiped as a god within some castes. The word also referred to the teachings of Buddha. When Hindu and Buddhist influences made its way to the Japanese archipelago, "dharma" was "japan-ized" into "daruma," or anthropomorphically turning into the character captured in this Bizen daruma made by the first Koyama Isso (he is succeeded by his son Koyama Isso II). Simply, it is rare that one will find a Bizen daruma of this size (approx. 34cm tall) that is made with such high craftsmanship. It is full of life and character, and the true focal point of this piece is the Daruma's face -what joy! It looks very similar to the paintings of Daruma by master Edo painter Hakuin. In this saikumono, Daruma glances to his right, and his eyes follow -many similar figures have the characters look blankly straight out. The body, with its chest and fat tummy, and esp. the robe/garment Daruma wears, is evidence of great skill in carving such a piece, which takes much time and effort to complete. It is difficult to find a Bizen Daruma of similar stature, and is a testament to Isso's love for saikumono. This piece is 34cm tall, 21cm wide, 16cm long, comes with a signed box and is in near-perfect condition, with the feet having been restored. Japanese Pottery Com http://www.trocadero.com/japanesepottery/items/327285/item327285.html

Presented by Gabi Greve, GokuRakuAn, october 2004 To the Daruma Forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Darumasan-Japan/ To the Daruma Museum http://www.amie.or.jp/daruma/daruma-new1.html To Musings about Happiness, a Haiku Forum http://groups.yahoo.com/group/happyhaiku/ To the Daruma Photo Album http://f2.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/gabigreve2000/my_photos gokuraku@po.harenet.ne.jp Please send us your contributions

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