Lot 3088: Daruma By Soga Shohaku (1730-1781)

By Soga Shohaku (1730-1781)
Hanging scroll; ink on paper; signed Shohaku ga and sealed Jasokuken Shohaku
40 x 10 3/8in (101.6 x 26.4cm)

Daruma, the patron of Zen Buddhism, is said to have achieved enlightenment after sitting in meditation in a cave for seven years. During this time, in his extended stationary state, he purportedly lost the use of his arms and legs. According to legend, he also cut off his eyelids after falling asleep during meditation. Shohaku has depicted the patriarch in an abbreviated manner; his stern face set in relief by the mere suggestion of robes rendered with a bold calligraphic stroke.

For other Daruma by Shohaku, see Soga Shohaku: Burai to yuestsu tokubetsu tenrankai exh. cat. (Kyoto: Kyoto National Museum, 2005), nos. 106-107.