Daruma doll
traditional Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism
A Daruma doll (Japanese: 達磨, romanized: daruma; IPA: [da̠ɾɯ̟ma̠]) is a hollow, round, Japanese traditional doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen tradition of Buddhism. These dolls, though typically red and depicting the Indian monk, Bodhidharma, vary greatly in color and design depending on region and artist. 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. Daruma dolls are seen as a symbol of perseverance and good luck, making them a popular gift of encouragement. The doll has also been commercialized by many Buddhist temples to use alongside the setting of goals.
Use
When purchased, the figure's eyes are both blank white. The owner selects a goal or wish and paints in the left eye of the figure's two eyes with Chinese or Japanese ink. Once the goal is achieved, the right eye is filled in.
Bodhidharma
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th/6th century CE. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Ch'an (Zen) to China. Little contemporary biographical information on Bodhidharma is available, and subsequent accounts have become layered with legend.
“Daruma doll” enters the record as traditional Japanese doll modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism. Crown Archives preserves that source wording while asking what Daruma, doll and traditional can confirm, complicate or overturn.
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Vocabulary and entity names are the principal evidence signals here, because they determine the precision of every later search. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 19, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q276107. The Library of Congress control number is sh85015211. None of the 1 selected statements returned an explicit reference.
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This entry incorporates text from “Daruma doll” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.