Laughing Buddha Hotai on Coins Miniature Figurine, Antique Red and Gold, 3.5 in

A Smile for Your Pocket: the Laughing Buddha Miniature

Hotai grins broadly on a pile of coins, with a round belly and a bag of candy. This Laughing Buddha miniature has an antique red and gold finish. It makes the tiny figure easy to spot on a shelf. It stands 3.5 in tall and weighs 0.3 lbs. That is small enough for a locker, a lunch box, or a desk.

Product Details

• Material: Crushed stone and resin
• Finish: Antique red and gold
• Dimensions: 3.5 in H x 2.5 in W x 2.5 in D
• Weight: 0.3 lbs
• Product number: O-048GR

Who Is Hotai?

The Happy Buddha is called Budai in China and Hotei in Japan. Spellings also include Ho Tai and Hotai. A Happy Buddha figurine often goes by all of these names. The name Budai means cloth sack. Tradition describes him as a Chinese monk of the Later Liang Dynasty, which ruled from 907 to 923 AD. He wandered with a sack and was loved by children.

A Monk Who Became Maitreya

A note dated 917 AD names the Ho Tai monk as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha. That belief gave his laughing image a place in temples. Monks of the Chan school carried his story to Vietnam, Korea, and Japan. In Japan he is Hotei, and he appears among the Seven Lucky Gods.

Coins, Candy, and a Big Belly

His big belly stands for contentment. He sits on coins of prosperity, a sign of the wish for good fortune. The candy bag recalls the gifts he gave to children. This Laughing Buddha miniature turns those ideas into a small, cheerful figure. The coins of prosperity beneath him make the message easy to read.

A Laughing Face Takes Time

The Princeton University Art Museum holds a rubbing of a stone carving dated 1088. It shows Budai with a sad grimace. The laughing version came later. A Happy Buddha figurine like this one belongs to that later, cheerful tradition. The Ho Tai monk of today is almost always smiling.

This Laughing Buddha miniature fits in a pocket, a locker, or on a desk. It weighs only 0.3 lbs, so it travels easily. Dust it with a soft dry brush. See more of our Asian Art Collection, including the reclining Ho Tai miniature.

Small figures are easy to give a place of honor. Set this Laughing Buddha miniature where you see it each morning. The coins of prosperity make a cheerful start to the day. The Happy Buddha figurine invites a smile from the Ho Tai monk himself.

For More Reading

• Read how the laughing monk became Maitreya in popular belief. Budai - Wikipedia
• See the early rubbing of a sad faced Budai from 1088. Rubbing of a stone carving of Budai - Princeton University Art Museum
• Compare a smiling soapstone Budai from London. Budai Heshang - Horniman Museum and Gardens