Asian Arts | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries | Message Board

HI. I WILL APRECCIATE IF SOMEONE CAN TELL ME SOMETHING ABOUT THIS CHINESE ANTIQUE PORCELAIN BUDDHA THAT HAS BEEN FOR MANY YEARS IN MY FAMILY.
I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW THE MEANING OF THE MARK, THE MANUFACTURER, THE YEAR WHEN WAS MADE, THE ECONOMIC VALUE, AND EVERYTHING YOU CAN TELL ME ABOUT.
THANK YOU SO MUCH.

Hello Nidia,

Images of the Budai Heshang (Cloth Sack Buddha) in this form, size and costume have been mass-produced in China since the early 20th century. If the marks on yours are legitimate, it probably dates to around 1900 or later. The stamp reads right to left across its three lines: 'Jiangxi' (the province), Zhu Yishun (Maker - I'm uncertain about 'Yi') and Zhidao (made by). I've handled a few of these and yours is much like the others except it is gilded, and there's no way to tell if the gilt is factory-applied or added later as an act of devotion. If you'll search eBay using the terms Budai Heshang, Cloth Sack Buddha and Hotai (the Japanese name for Budai), you'll get an fairly good idea of current value.
Best regards,
Bill H.

Asian Arts | Associations | Articles | Exhibitions | Galleries | Message Board