A finely carved rhinoceros horn figure of Budai 17th Century

well carved as a seated Budai, wearing loose robes draped over his corpulent body, his chest and large stomach bare, his right hand resting on his upturned leg, the other hidden beneath the long sleeves, his head bald with a round and broad smiling face, the horn rich caramel brown in colour, inset with a black lacquered wooden base

Sotheby's New York, 28th November 1994, lot 125.

Budai, the God of Happiness, is usually depicted with a joyful expression and wide smile, wearing loosely fitted robes to reveal his large stomach.  He was supposed to have carried all his belongings in his calico bag and reflected the changes in weather by the type of shoes he wore.  In Buddhism, the role of Budai is to remind people of the ever-presence of the Buddha and protecting his laws.  He is also connected with the protection of children and is often depicted with small children in play. 

See a rhinoceros horn figure of a seated Budai, from the Mary and George Bloch collection and illustrated in Jan Chapman, The Art of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, London, 1999, pl. 99, and in Thomas Fok, Connoisseurship of Rhinoceros Horn Carving in China, Hong Kong, 1999, pl. 66, sold in these rooms, 23rd October 2005, lot 34.