During the Spring 2026 Semester, the Godwin-Ternbach Museum hired an intern, Sunny Young, from the Graduate School of Library and Information Studies at Queens College, City University of New York, to assist with cataloging the Daruma Collection from the Allen Rosenbaum donation. The collection consists of various objects (wooden sculptures, paper materials, scrolls, stone objects, and much more) related to Daruma, or Bodhidharma, the monk who is attributed with the founding of Zen Buddhism. Sunny reflected on their time in the Museum Cataloging Internship:

A Snapshot of “A Civilized Daruma” from the Meji Era

During my internship at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum in Spring 2026, I started the cataloging process for the 150+ Daruma related objects donated by Allen Rosenbaum. Rosenbaum was an art world heavyweight, developing and curating Princeton’s art collections as the director of the Princeton Art Museum. He was known for his curatorial flair and dedication to art education. In his later life, Rosenbaum engaged deeply with his passions for art, music, and culture, vastly growing his own personal collection. As a Queens College graduate and a dedicated member of the board of directors of the Godwin-Ternbach Museum for twenty-five years, he eventually donated his vast personal collection of Daruma objects to the museum.

 

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The Daruma refers to the Buddhist monk Bodhidharma, a legendary Indian monk credited with bringing Zen Buddhism to China in the 5th-6th Century CE. Zen teachings and practice eventually reached Japan in the 12th-13th centuries. One of his many legends says he meditated in a cave for nine years. When he accidentally fell asleep and awoke, he was furious with himself to the point he cut off his eyelids. His fallen eyelids on the ground eventually grew to become green tea plants. His myth has evolved today to the well-loved Daruma doll in Japan, a symbol of wish and hope in popular Japanese culture. 

The museum’s collection of the Daruma spans across traditional artistic representations such as sculptures and paintings, to everyday objects bearing the Daruma, such as teacups, incense holders, and even a Louis Vuitton wallet. My personal favorite is a woodblock print titled “A Civilized Daruma”.

2023.4.65, A Civilized Daruma, Gift of Allen Rosenbaum, Class of 1958

This print depicts quite a different subject matter from traditional portrayals of Daruma which tend to be serious and meditative. (Even the title itself feels tongue-in-cheek.) The Daruma looks to be thoroughly enjoying a laid-back day, taking a break from his meditation to enjoy a cup of tea and discussion of current events with beautiful company. His normally down turned mouth and almost grim expression on traditional portraiture is turned to a joyful smile, and he has untangled himself from the traditional cross-legged meditation pose to a comfortable lounge. By presenting the Daruma in this human way, the greatly revered monk becomes one of the common folk who deserves a day off. By doing this, I think the Daruma becomes more approachable, by which the Buddhist way of life also becomes more accessible. By poking a little light-spirited fun into the great legend of Daruma, the artist actually makes the Daruma more relatable and popular in the modern day. I think this is a great example of alternative interpretations that artists dare to make about iconic figures that add dimension and depth to the character itself. 

Overall, this internship was a fun and interesting experience where I learned a lot about the Daruma. I hope the museum can show the rest of the vast collection to the wider campus soon!

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Check out the records available on our catalog to learn more about the Daruma Collection at the Godwin-Ternbach Museum!

(Click on the photos on the bottom to access the catalog records)