Soapstone figure of Budai Heshang, cloth sack monk, also popularly known as the Laughing Buddha, regarded as an incarnation of Maitreya, the Future Buddha, in Chinese Buddhism. He is depicted seated in a royal ease position, Rajalilasana, with right leg pendant and left leg folded horizontally, both hands rest on knees. The figure is plump with bald head, elongated earlobes and smiling face and wearing a robe which exposes a fat belly. Carved soapstone with an integral ovoid support.
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
If you have any further information about objects in our collections, can suggest corrections to our information or if you see content requiring immediate action, please contact us: enquiry@horniman.ac.uk
