Budai

CHINA; Ming dynasty

The smiling Budai is shown reclining against his large cloth sack beneath a tree. His robe is open, revealing his rounded belly. Six children frolic around Budai; two of them lift his staff, two others climb on his cloth sack, one child pulls on his sash, and another tugs at a string of beads that Budai holds in his left hand. The monk appears totally at ease, content to allow the children to do as they please. The image is amusing and lively, conveying the gentle nature of an Arhat.
Budai’s face, his robe, the clothing of the children, and the surrounding rocks and trees are all painted with different kinds of lines, resulting in a highly nuanced artwork. The inclusion of the six children may have been inspired by the General History of Chinese Buddhism, in which monk Qici (Budai) is described as a wanderer who travels through the city begging for alms and placing them inside his sack. Children follow behind him clamoring over the alms that the kind Budai will surely share with them.