Description MASANAO: A WOOD NESTUKE OF A DARUMA DOLLBy a member of the Masanao family, signed Masanao 正直Japan, Ise-Yamada, second half of 19th centuryFinely carved as a Daruma doll, shown almost completely enveloped in his voluminous robe, his face with a disgruntled expression, finely carved eyes below bushy eyebrows, flanked by two pendulous earlobes. Himotoshi through the back and signed MASANAO to the concave base.HEIGHT 3.6 cmCondition: Excellent condition, minor nibbling to the right ear.Provenance: Collection Gabor Orszagh, Budapest, Hungary.A Daruma doll is a round, traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. Though considered a toy by some, Daruma has a design that is rich in symbolism and is regarded more as a talisman of good luck to the Japanese.Literature comparison:Compare a closely related Daruma doll wood netsuke by Masanao, illustrated in Meinertzhagen, Frederick / Lazarnick, George (1986) MCI, Part A, p. 453.