Budai

KOREA; Joseon dynasty

This is a Korean Seon painting of Budai. According to the Transmission of the Lamp, Budai was plump and had long eyebrows and a protruding belly. He spoke in obscure phrases, carried all his possessions in a cloth sack tied to a stick, and was content to sleep anywhere. After Budai passed away, he came to be venerated as a manifestation of Maitreya.
Budai is depicted standing with one leg in front of the other. He has a round, smiling face and shaggy hair, and carries a cloth sack over his shoulder. His robe has bulging sleeves and is secured with a black sash. This image differs from the usual portrayals of Budai as a bald figure with a large belly. He is succinctly painted with thick lines, exemplifying the stroke reduction method that is a defining feature of Seon paintings. This is especially seen in the outline of the trousers, which are painted with three loose, wavy lines. The style is similar to the Japanese Zen paintings of the Edo period (1615–1868).