smiling young courtesan daintily plucks at the hairs of Daruma's upper lip; courtesan wears brown and white plaid robe with detailed red and white undergarment; Daruma wears red robe with white around neck; bald head, exaggerated cheek bones; looks painfully up at courtesan

Prostitute Plucking Daruma's Beard, first half 19th century

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The prostitute is plucking the beard of Bodhidharma, known in Japan as Daruma, the founder of Zen Buddhism. Reversing the sacred and the profane in a kind of parody was a favorite motif during the Edo period—in Edo slang, to “pull out one’s nose hair” implied a man enslaved by a woman. An especially popular theme was that of the Daruma and the prostitute, a play on the familiar subjects of Daruma’s nine years of meditation facing a stone wall, which caused the loss of his arms and legs, and the prostitute’s 10 years of trial-laden life at a brothel—the word “daruma” was slang for a prostitute.

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Details
Title
Prostitute Plucking Daruma's Beard
Artist Life
active early 19th century
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.149
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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smiling young courtesan daintily plucks at the hairs of Daruma's upper lip; courtesan wears brown and white plaid robe with detailed red and white undergarment; Daruma wears red robe with white around neck; bald head, exaggerated cheek bones; looks painfully up at courtesan