Vintage Rare Spirit Stone Drama “Tetsumaru-ishi” | Old Japanese Scholars Stone

Dimensions: 6-0"”h x 5-1/4"w x 4-3/4"d”

He started off as the founder of Zen Buddhism 1,500 years ago but when he came to Japan, Bodhidharma (Daruma in the Japanese culture). Offered is a unique creation of Mother Nature and a polished river stone emulating a standing figure of the Patriarch of Zen Buddhism wrapped in his cloak and cowl. It is not permanently affixed to the stand but positions itself on a natural rock form to function as a presentation piece and some say complete the image of this pious, stern-faced monk who spent a nine-year meditation marathon facing a cave wall pointing the way to enlightenment. To this day Daruma remains in modern Japan as a living icon, not a dead one.

Highly valued by the Japanese and particularly items representing nature and natural rock forms. The origin of "Tetsumaru-ishi" means a round (=maru) stone (=ishi) hard like iron (=tetsu), an aged stone taken from the Abe River in Japan and purchased in Shizuoka Prefecture in 1998.

To learn more about the evolution of the Daruma Figures see: https://mingeiarts.com/collections/our-books/products/ebook-expressions-of-daruma-in-folk-art

 Condition: Excellent original condition of rough stone with unevenness and color variations based on the tossing and turning of rushing water in the river.