Dehua Budai Maitreya Porcelain Figure with Prayer Beads

A broad smile, relaxed robe and strand of prayer beads identify this compact figure as Budai. At 13.3 cm high, it is small enough for a writing desk, tea table or cabinet without losing the expression and bead detail that define the composition.

Budai was a semi-legendary itinerant monk in tenth-century China, remembered for his cloth sack and easy manner. He later came to be understood as an incarnation of Maitreya, the Buddha of the Future. Museum examples preserve the familiar smiling, round-bellied form with rosary beads, which is why Budai Maitreya is more precise here than a generic Maitreya label.

In Chinese popular devotion, Budai came to embody open-hearted joy, contentment, generosity and material ease; as Maitreya, he also carries the promise of a more peaceful future. His smile is not merely comic. It represents the capacity to meet life without bitterness, which is why the figure is often welcomed into homes and places of work with wishes for happiness, harmony and good fortune.

This compact scale makes the meaning personal rather than monumental. Warm Ivory White has a softer, reflective presence, while Rich Red Glaze turns the figure into an auspicious point of color among books, teaware or darker wood. Both finishes arrive in a presentation gift box, making the piece a considered blessing gift as well as a daily object of contemplation.

• Origin: Dehua, Fujian, China
• Material: Glazed Dehua porcelain
• Figure: Seated Budai Maitreya holding prayer beads
• Finishes: Warm Ivory White; Rich Red Glaze
• Dimensions: 13.3 cm H × 12.5 cm W × 10.5 cm D / 5.2 in H × 4.9 in W × 4.1 in D
• Packaging: Presentation gift box
• Dimensions are hand measured; slight variation is expected