Buddha of happiness. China, first half of the 20th century

Buddha of happiness. China, first half of the 20th century.
Carved caramel-colored amber.
Measurements: 6 x 11 x 3,5 cm.

Figure worked in round bulk, representing a Buddha that radiates sympathy and goodness. It appears characterized with the traditional iconographic features of the Maitreya of happiness, popularly known as fat Buddha or smiling Buddha: slanted eyes and frank laughter, elongated earlobes symbolizing nobility and wisdom, voluminous body that the mantle barely covers, because the bare belly is a giver of good luck to the one who caresses it. The great expressivity of the countenance, the relaxed aspect of the attitudes and the naturalism with which the generous flesh and the softness of the flesh is captured is characteristic of Chinese statuary. The mythological origin of this avatar of Buddha dates back to the time of the Chinese Liang Dynasty. It is believed that he was a Buddhist monk who, due to his benevolent nature, came to be considered an incarnation of the bodhisattva Maitreya.