The Laughing Buddha is an epithet of the Maitreya Buddha of Chan Buddhism, prevalent in China. His name is Budai, which translates to ‘sack of cloth’. It is a reference to the sack on the Laughing Buddha’s back, without which - just like His good cheer - His iconography is incomplete!

The Laughing Buddha or Budai sculpture that you see on this page is a piece of skilfully carved jade. It is the finest of the semi-precious stones and occupies pride of place in the tradition of Buddhist iconographical sculpture. The colloidal green colour is the identifying feature of jade.

Limbs gathered underneath a portly torso. A round head thrown back ever so gently; infectious mirth writ large all over the face. The step-plinth, painted a deep, solid black, offers a striking contrast to the unusual green colour of jade.