The seals are fake; note their awkward placement and the inferior quality of the carving. They were obviously added later, likely by an unscrupulous art dealer. Since Zen artists such as Hakuin did scores of pieces in one session, many of them did not get signed or sealed at the time of their creation. They were put aside to be sealed later, but in fact many did not get sealed during the artist's lifetime,for various reasons. There is a possibility that this excellent painting was done by one of Hakuin's disciples, Jun Korin, who painted in his master's style. At any rate, it is a great zenga of the classic Rush-Leaf Daruma theme.
Hakuin Ekaku (c. 1685ñ1768), Zen master, painter, and poet, is perhaps the greatest figure in Japanese Zen's Rinzai school.
