A daruma doll is a roundish, armless, legless doll that is said to represent an ancient Buddhist hermit/priest, who meditated on a mountain for so long without moving that he lost the use of his limbs. It has a weighted base so that it rights itself no matter how often it is tipped over. It is considered a lucky item and serves as a sort of charm for making wishes come true.

I did a series of daruma doll etegami for Father’s Day this year to send to each of the “fathers” in my life (my father, my father-in-law, my husband), each with an accessory that represented a small part of who he is.