Unknown
Daruma, First Patriarch of Zen19th century

Not on view

Small red coral netsuke carving of a seated, robed figure with a hooded cloak, cradling a round object, with a deeply furrowed brow and downturned mouth

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Daruma, First Patriarch of Zen
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: 19th century
Period: Edo period (1603-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Red coral
Dimensions: 1 9/16 x 1 5/16 x 5/8 in. (3.9 x 3.4 x 1.6 cm)
Credit Line: Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection
Accession Number: M.91.250.257
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: Netsuke carved entirely of red coral, like this figure of Zen patriarch Daruma, are rare. The material appears in netsuke almost exclusively as very small inlays or as natural branches, the latter particularly in portrayals of islanders. Coral was associated with the South Seas and the inhabitants of the many islands there. In netsuke depictions of islanders, the natural form of the coral is generally maintained (see M.91.250.189). Here, the use of red coral is in keeping with paintings that portray the father of Buddhism wearing a red robe. The color also suggests another role ascribed to Daruma, that of guardian. Since the early seventeenth century, Daruma was seen as a protector against smallpox, and the color red was traditionally believed to ward off disease.

2024
Selected Bibliography: Goodall, Hollis, Virginia G. Atchley, Neil K. Davey, Christine Drosse, Sebastian Izzard, Odile Madden, and Robert T. Singer. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chicago: Art Media Resources, Inc.; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.
Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke: Japanese Sculpture in Miniature from the Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, Part IV. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1987.
Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke Familiar and Unfamiliar: New Principles for Collecting. New York: Weatherhill, 1975.
Bushell, Raymond. An Exhibition of Netsuke from the Raymond Bushell Collection. Tokyo: Mikimoto World Jewelers, 1979.

Unknown
Daruma, First Patriarch of Zen19th century

Not on view

Artist or Maker: Unknown
Title: Daruma, First Patriarch of Zen
Place Made: Japan
Date Made: 19th century
Period: Edo period (1603-1868) or Meiji period (1868-1912)
Medium: Red coral
Dimensions: 1 9/16 x 1 5/16 x 5/8 in. (3.9 x 3.4 x 1.6 cm)
Credit Line: Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection
Accession Number: M.91.250.257
Classification: Costumes
Collecting Area: Japanese Art
Curatorial Notes: Netsuke carved entirely of red coral, like this figure of Zen patriarch Daruma, are rare. The material appears in netsuke almost exclusively as very small inlays or as natural branches, the latter particularly in portrayals of islanders. Coral was associated with the South Seas and the inhabitants of the many islands there. In netsuke depictions of islanders, the natural form of the coral is generally maintained (see M.91.250.189). Here, the use of red coral is in keeping with paintings that portray the father of Buddhism wearing a red robe. The color also suggests another role ascribed to Daruma, that of guardian. Since the early seventeenth century, Daruma was seen as a protector against smallpox, and the color red was traditionally believed to ward off disease.

2024
Selected Bibliography: Goodall, Hollis, Virginia G. Atchley, Neil K. Davey, Christine Drosse, Sebastian Izzard, Odile Madden, and Robert T. Singer. The Raymond and Frances Bushell Collection of Netsuke: A Legacy at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. Chicago: Art Media Resources, Inc.; Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2003.
Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke: Japanese Sculpture in Miniature from the Collection of Raymond and Frances Bushell, Part IV. Los Angeles: Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 1987.
Bushell, Raymond. Netsuke Familiar and Unfamiliar: New Principles for Collecting. New York: Weatherhill, 1975.
Bushell, Raymond. An Exhibition of Netsuke from the Raymond Bushell Collection. Tokyo: Mikimoto World Jewelers, 1979.