Very Charming and fortunate Large antique Japanese Hotei. Hotei, The god of contentment and happiness, guardian of children, and patron of bartenders. Hotei 布袋 has a cheerful face and a big belly. He is supposedly based on an actual person, and is widely recognized outside of Japan as the Fat, Laughing Buddha. Hotei is most likely based on the itinerant 10th-century Chinese Buddhist monk and hermit Budaishi (d. 917), who is said to be an incarnation of Miroku Bodhisattva (Maitreya in Sanskrit). Hand Formed, with great attention to detail. Edo Period (early 19th Century) Dimensions: 20" High X 22" Wide X 10" Deep