Nowadays collecting mudmen has become increasingly popular. While most collectors are starting their collections with more common figures, some have progressed to a more serious level. Whatever your collecting preferences, learning about the meanings and desirable features is fascinating and fun.
This particular fellow is a monk offering a fish (the carp is the symbol of wealth in Buddhism). . He is dressed in a robe that has a green trim and is glazed in white. This is the garb of immortals. He may have been a well loved dignitary, or even someone in the arts, perhaps poetry instead of a monk. Whatever he is, he is a mystery.
The next thing to value is the condition of the figure. Are the colors still vibrant? Is there damage? Almost all mudmen will have some roughness around the base which is acceptable. However try to avoid broken or restored pieces, unless it is a truly rare piece.
Please buy from reputable sellers. There are imitation mud figures on the market that appear genuine at first glance. However when examined closely they are made of plaster instead of mud clay. They are hand-painted, not glazed, usually with acrylic paint and or glaze. I must stress that I will not examine or comment on any mudman's authenticity other than the ones I offer. I have bought collections that are well-known by serious collectors; namely Patricia Hardin and Alice Miller. Both of these experts have passed away. As the popularity of mudmen increase, unfortunately so do the number of imitations.

Country of Origin: China.

Size: 5 inches tall by 2 inches wide.

Marks: Incised "China."

Condition: Good to Very Good. Expected roughness around the base and on the ends of his shoes..

Circa: 1880 - 1919.

This is from my most recent mudmen collection purchase, the prestigious collection of Patricia Hardin. This collection has many rare and extremely rare pieces in exceptional condition. We will soon be updated some of the pieces I listed before. I've done so much research, and will be updating descriptions and prices as well.