A large and unusual well made Hotei or Happy Buddha of porcelain. Quite unusually, he is holding a large ingot of gold, or yuanbao or tael money, so his purpose was to convey wealth to whoever admires him! He measures a sizeable 9 inches tall, 8 inches wide, and 7 inches deep. He's taller of course on the included solid wood hand finished stand. He's in great shape with no damage; he has some wear to the gold on the big money ingot from people touching it for luck. A vintage Hotei from about mid to late twentieth century. The Hotei is said to have lived about a thousand years ago. He wandered from village to village, his few possessions in a cloth sack. He was said to be portly, content and jovial. Children were attracted to him; he would entertain them with stories as they clambered about. The townspeople were said to always welcome him, as he was said to be able to predict the weather and tell fortunes. As he became part of the Japanese Buddhist pantheon, and subsequently the Chinese, he has come to be known over the centuries as a source of luck and prosperity. Indeed the world over, wherever a Hotei Buddha is displayed, people of all cultures rub his belly for luck! This is a large, heavy item and shipping weight is 6.5 pounds. This Happy Buddha is a lovely addition to any collection!