Red Daruma Doll 'Katsu'
Matte red ceramic daruma with blank eyes for you to paint, a gold character brushed on the belly and gold streaks, the classic wishing doll.
Red Daruma Doll 'Katsu'
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The short answer
Ceramic daruma doll in a matte red enamel with both eyes left blank to paint, the face in the traditional strokes, gold streaks at the shoulders and a single gold character brushed large on the belly. Weighted base; rights itself when knocked. About the height of a hand.
Fabric & care
The composition is stated in the description and printed on the inner label. Machine wash cold, inside out, with similar colours. Hang to dry. Iron on low, inside out over prints or embroidery.
Shipping & returns
Shipping is free on every order, with no minimum. Duties and import taxes are prepaid at checkout. Orders leave in 1 to 3 business days and take 6 to 12 business days on average; a tracking number is emailed on dispatch.
You may return any item within 30 days of delivery for a full refund. Write to contact@yonaku.com and we email you a prepaid label.
What we sell, and what we don't
Japanese designs, made in Asia. Cotton, linen or polyester as stated on each piece, never silk. We name every garment for what it is: a kimono jacket is not a haori, an unlined kimono is not a yukata.
- Free shippingEvery order, no minimum
- Duties prepaidNothing to pay on delivery
- TrackedNumber emailed on dispatch
- 30-day returnsFree, prepaid label
- Sizing helpRuns small: take the larger size
- A person repliesText or email, no bots
About this piece
Red daruma doll in matte enamel with blank eyes to paint and a gold character
Red, matte, eyes blank: the daruma as it is sold at the temple. This is a ceramic doll in a matte red enamel with the face painted in the traditional black brows and moustache, a red mouth, both eyes left as blank white circles for you to paint, gold streaks at the shoulders and a single gold character brushed large across the belly. Red is the daruma's own colour, and matte red with blank eyes is the doll that has been bought at the Takasaki fair for two hundred years.
It is the classic of the collection, the one to buy first, and the one to give.
The name, Katsu, is to win, the word shouted at a daruma when the second eye goes in, and the doll is named for the moment.
The doll is ceramic with a matte enamel finish, cast hollow with a weighted base, the face painted in the crane-and-tortoise strokes of the Takasaki tradition, the eyes left as two blank white circles for you to paint, with a single gold character brushed large on the belly and gold streaks at the shoulders.
The daruma is the monk who sat facing a wall for nine years, and the doll is his body with no limbs and a weighted base, so it rights itself when knocked over: seven times down, eight times up. You paint one eye when you set a goal and the other when you reach it.
Put it where you will see it every day, on a desk, a shelf or a windowsill, facing into the room, and paint the left eye when you set the goal. Knock it over once to see it stand up.
The matte red is the detail: it reads as painted paper, not glaze, and the gold character on the belly is the only shine. The blank eyes are two white circles under the black brows, and they are the point.
Every daruma in the collection is photographed at the same scale, so the pages compare: the single dolls are about the height of a hand, the stacked box taller.
Dust with a soft cloth; wipe with a damp one if it needs it. Paint the eyes with a brush and black ink or a marker. It is ceramic and it breaks, so keep it off the edge of the shelf.
From across a room it is a red egg with a face and no eyes. From close the eyes show their blank, the belly its gold, and the red its matte. It is the daruma for anyone with a wish, which is everyone.
Questions about the daruma doll
What is a daruma?
A round doll of the monk who sat facing a wall for nine years, with no limbs and a weighted base, so it rights itself when knocked over. It is the Japanese charm for perseverance: seven times down, eight times up.
Why are the eyes blank?
You paint the left eye when you set a goal and the right when you reach it. The six matte dolls come with both eyes blank, as the tradition sells them. The five glossy dolls and the money box have both eyes painted in: a wish already granted.
What do the colours mean?
Red is the classic, for health and warding off illness. White is a clean start. Black keeps bad luck out. Blue is work and study. Green is health. Gold and orange are money. Every page says which.
Is it made in Japan?
No. It is a Japanese design, made in Asia. We say so on every page. The traditional daruma is papier-mache from Takasaki; these are ceramic with an enamel finish.
How big are they?
The single dolls are about the height of a hand; the stacked money box is about twice that. Every daruma is photographed at the same scale, so the pages compare.
How do I paint the eye?
A brush and black ink, or a black marker, on the blank white circle. Left eye first. Say what you want out loud, and do not paint the right one until it happens.
What we sell, and what we don't
Japanese designs, made in Asia. Cotton, linen or polyester as stated on each piece, never silk. We say so on every page, because the alternative is selling you a word instead of a garment.
On the record
| Piece | Red Daruma Doll 'Katsu' |
|---|---|
| Chapter | 家Home |
| Collection | The daruma doll collection |
| Fabric | Ceramic, enamel finish |
| Sizes | One size |
| Made | Japanese design, made in Asia |
| Reference | YONA-0289 |
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