Antique 19thC Daruma Hossu Mingei Japanese Folk Art Zen Buddhist Dharma Wall Art

DESCRIPTIONLarge antique wooden Japanese wall plaque. Depicting a Daruma with his fly whisk this large wooden mingei would have hung on the wall of an important house due to its size and skillful carving. The Daruma dolls are based in the legend of Bodhidharma, a monk accredited with the founding of Zen Buddhism, who seems to have lived between the 5th and 6th centuries CE. The monk became a wall-gazer. He meditated, eyes to a wall, in a seated position for nine years, without breaks, and without closing his eyes, except once, after seven years. He was so furious at himself for what he perceived as lack of discipline, that he sliced his own eyelids off so to prevent himself from ever sleeping again. As the eyelids touched the ground, they sprouted green tea plants. This legend is one of the reasons behind Buddhist monks often drinking green tea to stay awake.On top of this, Bodhidharma also suffered the loss of his arms and legs (according to some legends they fell off his body) as a