Daruma doll

upright=1.35|thumb|Daruma doll

A Daruma doll (; ) is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting the Indian monk, Bodhidharma, vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. Though considered a toy by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement.

Bodhidharma

thumb|[[Bodhidharma, woodblock print by Yoshitoshi, 1887]]

Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an (Zen) to China. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is available, and subsequent accounts have become layered with legend. According to one tradition, Bodhidharma gained a reputation for, among other things, his practice of wall-gazing. Legend claims that he sat facing a wall in meditation for a period of nine years without moving, which caused his legs and arms to fall off from atrophy. Another popular legend is that after falling asleep during his nine-year meditation he became angry with himself and cut off his eyelids to avoid ever falling asleep again.

According to the principal Chinese sources, Bodhidharma came from the Western Regions, which refers to Central Asia but may also include the Indian subcontinent, and was either a "Persian Central Asian" or a "South Indian ... the third son of a great Indian king." Throughout Buddhist art, Bodhidharma is depicted as an ill-tempered, bearded, wide-eyed non-Chinese person. He is referred as "The Blue-Eyed Barbarian" () in Chan texts, although note that while the translation "barbarian" is derogatory, in Chinese it is simply descriptive of non-Chinese origin.

History and commercialization

left|thumb|A wooden mold for a papier-mâché [[Maneki-neko and Okiagari-Koboshi Daruma figure from the Edo Period, 18th century. Brooklyn Museum.]]

The current popular symbolism associated with Daruma as a good luck charm in part originated at Shorinzan Daruma Temple, in the city of Takasaki (Gunma Prefecture, north of Tokyo). Josef Kyburz, author of "Omocha": Things to Play (Or Not to Play) with, explained that the founder of Daruma-Dera would draw New Year's charms depicting Bodhidharma. The parishioners would keep these charms to "bring happiness and prosperity and ward off accidents and misfortune".

right|thumb|No. 22, Snow in Front of the Official Storehouses by [[Hirokage]]

It is believed that the Daruma figurine then originated from this region when the ninth priest, Togaku, found a solution to handle the constant requests of the parishioners for new charms. The charms were always given with an effectiveness of one year, so the people required new ones every year. He solved this by entrusting them with the making of their own Daruma charms near the beginning of the Meiwa period (1764–72). The temple made wooden block molds for the people to use. The peasants then used these molds to make three-dimensional papier-mâché charms.

Kyburz notes that though it is unknown when the Daruma figurine combined with the tumbler doll; the two were well recognized as synonymous by the mid-19th century. The doll quickly grew in popularity, becoming a mascot of the region. This was due greatly in part to fact that the majority of the families were silk farmers, a crop which requires a great deal of luck for success. The festival also features a 24-hour reading of sutras by the Shorinzan monks for world peace.

Physical features and symbolism

thumb|Daruma dolls at Shōrinzan Daruma-ji, [[Takasaki, Gunma|Takasaki, Japan]]

Daruma's design, particularly the shape, color, eyes and facial hair, each have its own history and symbolic meaning.

Shape

Darumas are still usually made of papier-mâché, have a round shape, are hollow and weighted at the bottom so that they will always return to an upright position when tilted over. In Japanese, a roly-poly toy is called okiagari, meaning to get up (oki) and arise (agari). This characteristic has come to symbolize the ability to have success, overcome adversity, and recover from misfortune. Bodhidharma is said to have meditated for nine years at Shaolin Temple facing a wall until his legs atrophied from lack of use, which was the inspiration for its limbless form.thumb|left|Triangle Darumas made by Tokushiro Imai (1895–1995), who developed their design in 1956.|175px

The tumbler doll style is similar to an earlier toy called the okiagari-kobōshi, a little self-righting monk which was popular in the Kinki region during the mid-17th century. The original okiagari toy, however, is said to have been introduced from Ming China.

Color

thumb|Non-traditional neon pink Daruma dolls in [[Ibaraki prefecture|Ibaraki.]]

Though it is not certain, the origins of Daruma's traditional red coloring probably came from the color of priests' robes. Reliable sources in English are hard to find, but one Japan-based website cites this red as being the "color of the robe of a high-ranking priest. The author then concludes that "since Daruma was the founder of the Zen Sect, he must have worn a red robe." The art historian James T. Ulak has documented a history of depictions of the Bodhidharma wearing lavish red robes, prior to representations of him as a doll.

By virtue of his red robes, Daruma has come to play a role in recovering from sickness. During the late Edo period (1603–1868), red was believed to have a strong association to smallpox. In Edo and surrounding cities, there were many outbreaks of measles and smallpox. In present-day Japan, there are many red shrines dedicated to a God of Smallpox, which had a particular liking for red. These shrines were built in response to those outbreaks. Believing that the God of smallpox, if pleased, would spare the afflicted child, the Japanese would often stretch out ropes around the house strung with red paper strips, have the child wear a red robe, and make a small altar for the God to put talisman-like Daruma figurines on. These precautions were also used to warn others that sickness was in the house, and to encourage cleanliness around the sick. The red of Daruma, however, was used to pacify the God, while the image of okiagari was to encourage the patient to recover as quickly as they fell ill. Traditionally, the Daruma was purchased as a household item, and only the head of the household would paint in the eyes.

One example of this tradition in practice is intentions set by politicians during election time. Political parties have often been shown at their headquarters with large Daruma dolls and amulets purchased from local temples as a prayer for victory. This practice was highlighted in a 1967 article in Time magazine: "Last week, in the Tokyo headquarters of Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, Premier Eisaku Satō dipped a sumi brush into an ink stone and with swift strokes daubed in the dark right eye of his Daruma. 'The eyes,' he remarked when he had finished, 'are as big as my own.'"

The Matsukawa Daruma () is produced with the eyes already painted, with the purpose of watching over a family's household. These intricate figures are more slender than traditional Daruma and typically feature blue coloring and a base molded (or simply painted) in the form of the ship that transports the Seven Lucky Gods.

Facial hair

Daruma's facial hair is a symbolic representation of the animals well known in Asian culture to embody longevity: the crane and the tortoise. The eyebrows are in the shape of a crane, while the cheek hair resembles the shell of the tortoise. Originally there was a snake or dragon depicted across the moustache and cheeks, but this was changed to a tortoise to emphasize the desire for longevity. In this way, Daruma was designed to match the Japanese proverb "The crane lives 1000 years, the tortoise 10,000 years".

Daruma burning

thumb|right|Burning of the Daruma

At the end of the year, all the Daruma are brought back to the temple they were purchased from for a traditional burning ceremony. The origins of feminine Daruma began in response to social changes during the Edo Period. Contemporaneous class distinctions placed the merchants at the bottom, who in turn developed their own culture focusing on humor and poking fun at what those of higher class held sacred. This is evident in the depiction of Bodhidharma as a prostitute since prostitutes displayed the same "okiagari" resilience. Famous pieces of art depicting Bodhidharma were also redrawn with a woman in his place.

Children's games

thumb|upright|Daruma Otoshi. The Daruma character, hammer and rainbow-colored pieces.

Many children's games make mention of Daruma. In Japanese, snowmen are called "Yukidaruma" (), literally snow daruma. Possibly because the shape is related to Daruma, they usually only have two sections instead of three. Darumasan ga Koronda is an equivalent to the American Red Light/Green Light game. is a traditional game played with a daruma doll in five pieces, usually in the colors of the rainbow, from top to bottom: head – a man's face, blue, green, yellow, red. The game is played by using a small hammer to hit each of the colored pieces, from bottom to the top, without letting the pieces fall during the game.

In 2010, The Pokémon Company created the Pokémon "Darumaka" and "Darmanitan", which are based on Daruma dolls.

Bodhidharma

History and commercialization

Physical features and symbolism

Shape

Color

Facial hair

Daruma burning

Children's games

See also

References

Sources

Further reading

External links