Japanese Hand-painted Porcelain Daruma Figure woman on horseback Though I am not entirely

Though I am not entirely certain what that might be

shape and style of painting I’d guess it’s American and dates to the mid to late 19th century

and I believe it dates from the early 20th century when it would have been used as a festival dance mask

I'd hang it on the wall or prop it somewhere to be admired

is in fact packed in pretty tightly and not really threatening to come apart

Japanese Hand-painted Porcelain Daruma Figure woman on horseback Though I am not entirelyThis curious character is an antique Japanese porcelain Daruma figure. There are a wide array of Daruma out there, modeled after Bodhidharma, the founder of Zen Buddhism, and typically depicted as a red robed bearded man, as he is here. This is about my favorite example of all I've seen, with a wonderfully expressive face, wide nose, and painted eyes directed skyward, plus he has these finely and emphatically painted eyebrows, beard and chest hair.