{"product_id":"white-happy-buddha-statue","title":"White Happy Buddha Statue - Budai Reclining on His Sack, Antique White, 2.5 in","description":"\u003ch2\u003eA White Happy Buddha Statue at Ease on His Sack\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis \u003cstrong\u003eantique white Happy Buddha statue\u003c\/strong\u003e shows \u003cstrong\u003eBudai\u003c\/strong\u003e on one elbow. His cloth sack is banked behind him like a cushion. His eyes crinkle shut and his open mouth shows his teeth. The antique white finish is cream with tan shading in the recesses, like aged ivory or pale stone. He holds a small ingot in one hand. A strand of faceted prayer beads hangs from the other and spills onto the base.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eProduct Details\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eMaterial: Resin\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFinish: Antique White\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDimensions: 2.5 in H x 4.5 in L x 2 in D\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eWeight: 0.7 lbs\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCollection: Asian Art\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eProduct number: O-088S\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eContentment as a Pose\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany Budai figures sit upright. A reclining pose is rarer and stresses ease. Japanese Zen painters, including Hakuin Ekaku, show him meditating with his sack as a cushion. This laughing Buddha statue takes that idea literally, with the sack as both pillow and treasure.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFrom Grimace to Laugh\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAn 1088 stone rubbing at the Princeton University Art Museum shows Budai with a downcast, grim face. The museum suggests it may be an early image, made before his happy persona became standard. The Horniman Museum in London holds a soapstone Budai about 4 in high, smiling, with long earlobes. This Happy Buddha statue carries that carved-stone tradition forward in resin refined with a hand-painted antique finish.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eThe Monk Behind the Smile\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBudai was a wandering Chan monk of the Later Liang dynasty, remembered as Qieci. A note dated 28 March 917 names him an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha. In the West he is often mistaken for Gautama Buddha. In Chan tradition he is not. A laughing Buddha statue of this kind shows the monk, not the founder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a warmer look, this reclining Budai figurine is also made as a \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/products\/reclining-happy-buddha-ho-tai-miniature-figurine-gold-and-red\"\u003egold and red Budai\u003c\/a\u003e. Its gilt tones recall Ming dynasty gilt-bronze figures. See more in our \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/collections\/asian-art\"\u003eAsian Art Collection\u003c\/a\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003ePlacement and Care\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAt 4.5 in long and 0.7 lbs, this reclining Hotei figurine suits a shelf, windowsill, or desk. Dust it with a soft cloth. The pale finish shows grime, so keep this white Happy Buddha statue away from damp hands and harsh scrubbing.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eChan Teachers and Their Eccentric Saints\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the 12th century, Chan masters Dahui Zonggao and Hongzhi Zhengjue helped fold local legends into the Chan tradition. Likable, odd figures like Budai drew people of every background. A reclining Budai figurine like this one descends from that choice. Any Hotei figurine in Japan carries the same lineage. A white Happy Buddha statue is a modern descendant.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003eFor More Reading from the Web\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eStudy the early grim-faced Budai on an 1088 stone rubbing. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/artmuseum.princeton.edu\/collections\/objects\/57546\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBudai with Staff and Bag - Princeton University Art Museum\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eCompare a palm-sized soapstone Budai in London. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.horniman.ac.uk\/object\/1990.79\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBudai Heshang - Horniman Museum and Gardens\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFollow the monk from Chan legend to Zen painting. \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Budai\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003eBudai - Wikipedia\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Ancient Treasures","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":67714370863217,"sku":"O-088S","price":9.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0615\/0537\/files\/O-088S-small-budai-6-1080sqr.jpg?v=1792262816","url":"https:\/\/www.museumize.com\/products\/white-happy-buddha-statue","provider":"Museumize.com","version":"1.0","type":"link"}