Lucky Buddha "budai" ·  China · ID: 3042233

Description

bronze, brass, squatting figure wearing a robe, ear ornament and necklace with red (glass) bead pendant, pierced disc as background (fixed to the back of the head), octagonal wooden base with metal ornaments, slightly dam./abrasion of paint (base);
“budai” (japan. “hotai”) is traditionally depicted as a fat monk. He is almost always shown smiling or laughing, hence his nickname in Chinese, is “Lucky Buddha” or “Laughing Buddha”. His name “budai” means “cloth sack”. He carried his few possessions in a cloth sack, being poor but content. His figure appears throughout Chinese culture as a representation of contentment and self-sufficiency.