Wonderful hand carved, wooden ‘Smiling’ Daruma ... on a plinth and presented in a lovely signed box.

dimensions
height: 18cm
width: 16cm
base: 3cm x 19cm

Usually red, round, and constructed of paper, the Daruma is an embodiment of determination and achievement. The eyes are left intentionally blank, so that it’s up to the user to draw in the pupils or irises.

The process of using a Daruma doll is simple: Have a goal, wish, or promise to fulfill. Paint in one eye. Work for it everyday. When the dream is achieved, paint in the other eye.

Daruma dolls are constant reminders of the what the Japanese call the ganbaru spirit. Life is full of pitfalls and bumps on the road. It’s inevitable that you’ll stumble sometimes. But it’s up to you to get back up. It’s in your own power and will to keep moving.

The doll embodies this popular Japanese proverb: Nanakorobi yaoki. "Fall down seven times, stand up eight." So it’s always about the work. No matter how tired, despite the circumstances, or even lack of rewards or motivation, the ganbaru spirit treads forward.

Because clarity is truly realised and appreciated when the person who made the wish transforms into the person who completed the dream. That’s why Daruma dolls have such determined expressions. They never give up. They are built to automatically bounce back when knocked over. They are a metaphor of grit and endurance.