Daruma
18th century
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 10 11/16 × 22 5/16 in. (27.1 × 56.7 cm) Overall with mounting: 46 1/4 × 23 15/16 in. (117.5 × 60.8 cm) Overall with knobs: 46 1/4 × 26 in. (117.5 × 66 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
Accession Number
2015.300.174
Tags
Art Historical Context
**Daruma** by Totoki Baig, an 18th-century hanging scroll painted in ink and color on paper captures the iconic Zen Buddhist monk Bodhidharma—known as Daruma in Japan—with striking intensity. Created during Japan's Edo period (16151868), a time of relative peace and flourishing arts, Baigai's work reflects the literati (nanga) style, blending bold ink washes with subtle colors to evoke the monk's fierce determination and meditative power. Hanging scrolls like this were prized for display in alcoves during tea ceremonies or scholarly gatherings, transforming spaces with their portable elegance....
About the Artist
Totoki Baigai · 1749–1804
Japanese, 1749–1804