Lot 1029. A parcel-gilt bronze figure of Budai, Late Ming dynasty, 16th-17th century; 17¼ in. (43.8 cm.) high. Estimate USD 15,000 - USD 20,000. Price realised USD 50,000. © Christie's Images Ltd 2014 

The smiling, corpulent figure is shown seated beside his sack which he holds in his left hand while holding prayer beads in his right, and his belted robe is worn loosely, exposing his belly.

Note: A Ming dynasty figure of Maitreya Buddha in the Nitta Group Collection, illustrated in The Crucible of Compassion and Wisdom: Special Exhibition Catalog of the Buddhist Bronzes from the Nitta Group Collection, Taiwan, 1987, p. 214, pl. 117, is quite similar to the present figure in the shape and expression of the face, the quality and decoration of the robes, and the stance in which he sits.

A similar parcel-gilt bronze figure of Budai sold at Christie's New York, 26 March 2003, lot 50.

Christie's. Fine Chinese Ceramics and Works of Art, New York, 18 - 19 September 2014