Figurine
Artist
Maker unknown
(Chinese)
Date1900-1925
MediumCoral, wood
DimensionsOverall: 1 1/2 × 1 7/8 × 1 1/4in. (3.8 × 4.8 × 3.2cm)
ClassificationsART
Credit LineEstate of Sarah T. Norris
Terms
Object number73.87
DescriptionCarved coral figure of HoTei on wooden stand.On View
Not on viewCollections
Copyright<a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/"><img alt="Creative Commons License" style="border-width:0" src="https://i.creativecommons.org/l/by-nc/4.0/80x15.png" /></a><br />This work is licensed under a <a rel="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License</a>.
Label TextHotei is a deity of Buddhist origin who is often incorporated into Chinese and Japanese artworks. Hotei is often depicted as a chubby, good-humored monk carrying a large sack of treasure and surrounded by children, as depicted here. A semi-historical figure, he is believed to have lived in southern China in the late ninth century and was eventually recognized as a manifestation of Miroku (Sanskrit: Maitreya), the Buddha of the Future.
