Vietnamese Wood Hotei Buddha of Wealth Sculpture with Laughing Child & Stone 23"

The lovable fat, happy, laughing Buddha represents the ideals of good health, wealth, happiness, prosperity and longevity. He is known as Budai (Chinese) and Hotai (Japanese). He is lovingly referred to as the Happy Buddha, Laughing Buddha or the Buddha of Wealth. The Laughing Buddha is based on an historical figure of an obese Zen monk who wandered China during the Laing Dynasty. He was known for carrying a sack of candy, which he gave to children on the street. People believed that he was an incarnation of the Maitreya Buddha.
 
In sculpture the Laughing Buddha is depicted with a large, exposed belly carrying a hemp sack, which is filled with gold, health and happiness. Buddhists do not see wealth as being only material but spiritual wealth as well. Both his belly and the large sack convey this concept of abundance.
 
The laughing Buddha of Wealth is always depicted in a relaxing posture, exuding happiness to all who are near Him. His smile and jovial nature is infectious, reminding you that there is more to life than just worldly possessions. His large Belly is always bursting out of his robes. Sometimes he wears red colored robes that represent good fortune and blessings.
 
He usually carries a gold ingot (sycee) or a small hemp sack in his hand.  He sits or stands upon a hemp sack of wealth under him. Around his neck, he wears auspicious mala beads as well as a large, round medallion that bring blessings to the surrounding. He sometimes holds a stick known as a wish stick, which he uses to grant people boons. Many people believe that rubbing his belly will grant anyone their wish.
 
He is often seen surrounded by children or carrying children on his back.  Children naturally flock to him, not just because he gives them candy but because his joyous nature is so childlike that they see him as an equal.  Some people believe a statue of the laughing Buddha is good to have around newborns as well as those wanting to have children.

Wood statues are easy to take care of as they just need some annual upkeep to keep them looking as they did when they were first carved. All the wood used by Lotus Sculpure's artists is dried out for months. Moisture causes cracks in the sculpture as the wood contracts and expands in different temperatures. Our wood has little to no moisture in it assuring that the sculpture is not going to crack in its journey into different climates. Here are some simple tips to keep your statue in good condition:

• Dust the statue as needed to prevent dirt build up
• To make the statue shine use a natural wood cleaner and a cotton cloth to buff the sculpture

We prefer Old English to polish and buff our statues. The use of a wood polish like Old English will keep the wood looking fresh and keep the colors looking vibrant. For natural wood and painted wooden statues we recommend Old English for lighter woods. For darker wood statues we recommend Old English for darker woods. Lotus Sculpture cleans and polishes each wooden statue prior to shipping them to the customer.

We recommend keeping wooden statues in an indoor environment. Wood statues can go outside however, they will wear more quickly and develop an antique appearance. If you would like to put a wood statue from Lotus Sculpture outside and keep the same appearance of the sculpture we would recommend first coating the statue with a couple of layers of sealant or polyurethane. We would then recommend placing the statue in a partially covered area. The more exposure to the elements the more the statue will wear over time. Please feel free to contact us directly if you have any questions regarding your wooden statue from Lotus Sculpture, (760) 994-4455 or [email protected].

USA Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping. The shipping charge is automatically calculated by UPS for shipping within the United States. Each sculpture is usually shipped within 24 hours of the order with the exception of the weekend.
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Besides the shipping price, the results will also display the date the statue will arrive at your home. Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.

International Shipping

This sculpture is in our Oceanside, California store and ready for immediate shipping to anywhere in the world. ​International shipping charges will be calculated automatically upon checkout. ​
You can obtain a shipping quote for any statue by clicking the link, Calculate Shipping beneath to the Add To Cart button on every statues' page.  Or you can email [email protected] or call us 760-994-4455 to receive a shipping quote. Please include the item number of the statue you are interested in purchasing as well as your country and postal code.​ Lotus Sculpture uses Instapak foam injection packing system or bubble wrap and recycled peanuts to ensure that all our pieces arrive undamaged. Click here to learn more about Lotus Sculptures packing.