Edo period iron tsuba signed Koretsune with kakihan, depicting Daruma (Bodhidharma, the founder of the Zen sect of Buddhism) with his traditional glaring face on the omote and flywhisk on the reverse. In legend, he was angry with himself for falling asleep during meditation and had his eyelids removed, which is why he is usually depicted with wide open, staring eyes.
Bodhidharma was a Buddhist monk who lived during the 5th or 6th century. He is traditionally credited as the transmitter of Chan Buddhism to China , and regarded as its first Chinese patriarch . According to Chinese legend, he also began the physical training of the monks of Shaolin Monastery that led to the creation of Shaolin kungfu . In Japan, he is known as Daruma .
Koretsune's personal name was Ishiguro Shusuke , born 1785-1790, eldest son of Ishiguro Masatsune I, who also used the name Koretsune in early life. Yedo.
65 x 60mm
This is a guaranteed antique, and comes with tsuba box.