Budai at The Kiev Museum of Western and Oriental Art, Ukraine

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Budai or Pu-Tai is a well-known Chinese folkloric deity. His name translates directly to "Cloth Sack," which originates from the bag he's conventionally depicted as carrying. He's often identified with or seen as an incarnation of Maitreya, the future Buddha, so much so that the Budai image is one of the primary forms in which Maitreya is depicted in China. He's almost always shown smiling or laughing, earning him his nickname in Chinese, the Laughing Buddha (Chinese: Xiào Fó). In Western cultures, the image of Budai is frequently mistaken for Gautama Buddha and is therefore referred to as the Fat Buddha (Chinese: Pàng Fó).\r\n\r\nThis object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative launched by MyMiniFactory, through which we're creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe for the public to access freely. Scan the World is an open-source, community-driven effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can assist. Scanned using Photogrammetry (Processed with Agisoft PhotoScan).