According to Buddhist myth, Bodhidharma was a 6th century Indian sage credited with being the founder of the Zen school of Buddhism. Upon meditating in a cave for several years, his limbs shriveled up and his eyelids were cut off.

In Japan, where he is called Daruma, his image is represented by a papier-mâché doll that has no pupils when first purchased. Eventually, each pupil is painted in when its possessor’s wish—such as a profitable year or a victorious election—is voiced and granted. This black Daruma doll, with its slightly bumpy surface, makes a fierce, symbolic protector. Made in Japan.

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