Chinese Carved Green Jade Maitreya Laughing Buddha Figure

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A hand-carved Chinese pale green jade figure portraying the seated Maitreya Buddha, commonly known as Budai or the Laughing Buddha. … Read more A hand-carved Chinese pale green jade figure portraying the seated Maitreya Buddha, commonly known as Budai or the Laughing Buddha. The deity is carved in a relaxed seated posture with an exposed round belly, draped monastic robes hanging loosely across the shoulders, and elongated earlobes framing a broad, smiling face. Beside him rests his traditional cloth sack, an attribute closely associated with contentment, generosity, and good fortune. The stone displays an attractive soft celadon green hue with natural translucency under direct light, punctuated by subtle cloudy veining and gentle tonal variations inherent to the natural mineral. The exterior has been rendered with soft, rounded contours and buffed to an even, tactile polish, while the deeper recesses around the drapery folds, toes, and facial features retain the characteristic tool marks of hand-worked lapidary carving.

Dating from the early to mid-20th century, the sculpture is carved from a solid block of mineral, likely Xiuyan serpentine jade, a material widely favoured in Chinese lapidary workshops for talismanic and decorative carvings. The carving rests securely on a flat, self-supporting base, making it well-suited for a display shelf, desk, or cabinet collection. The figure measures approximately 9 cm in width, 7 cm in height, and around 5 cm in depth. It remains in very good condition, showing light surface handling wear consistent with age, with no chips, fractures, or restorations visible. See less