Juliette Hammer
Sale Coordinator
Lot 27
A BRONZE BUDAI SCROLL WEIGHT 18th century
14 May 2025, 10:00 BST
London, New Bond Street£1,500 - £2,000
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Chen Xie
Specialist
Edward Luper
Specialist, Chinese Works of Art
Lazarus Halstead
Head of Chinese and Asian Art, London
A BRONZE BUDAI SCROLL WEIGHT
18th century
The deity cast in a pose of relaxed ease with his right arm supporting his bald head with jovial expression between large pendulous ears, his left legs outstretched exposing his foot, clad in loose robes with finely detailed patterns, laying bare his large belly, traces of gilt, fixed wood stand.
16.2cm (6 3/8in) long overall.
The deity cast in a pose of relaxed ease with his right arm supporting his bald head with jovial expression between large pendulous ears, his left legs outstretched exposing his foot, clad in loose robes with finely detailed patterns, laying bare his large belly, traces of gilt, fixed wood stand.
16.2cm (6 3/8in) long overall.
Footnotes
十八世紀 銅佈袋和尚紙鎮
Budai (布袋), also known as the 'Laughing Buddha', was in fact, the Chinese monk Qieci (契此), who lived during the late Tang dynasty to the Five Dynasties period (10th century). As seen in the present lot, he is commonly represented as a plump, smiling figure embodying contentment, generosity, and good fortune. In Chinese Buddhist tradition, he is also recognised as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha. His jovial nature and itinerant lifestyle made him a beloved figure in folklore, symbolising happiness, abundance, and the blessings of life.
The bronze reclining figure could have served both as a scroll or paper weight and a brush rest, exemplifying the functional versatility characteristic of many objects on the scholar's desk. See two related bronze reclining figures, late Ming/early Qing dynasty, illustrated by Sydney L.Moss Ltd., The Second Bronze Age: Later Chinese Metalwork, London, 1991, pls.30-31.
See a related bronze Budai figure, 18th century, which was sold at Bonhams London, 14 May 2009, lot 154.