White jade carving with reddish inclusions depicting lying smiling Budai holding the Yuan Bao in his right hand. The carving, finely made, shows an inscription on the back and a large seal at the bottom. The Budai iconography, often referred to as the "smiling Buddha" is highly appreciated in China and refers to a Chinese monk who, according to tradition, lived in the 10th century, and is often associated with Maitreia, the Buddha of the future. Budai is depicted as a fat, smiling character, sometimes surrounded by children, often represented with a bag full of coins or, as in this case, with a precious gold bar in his hand.