‘Laughing Buddha’ with Laughing Child in Bag, Metal Statuette

The ‘Laughing Buddha’ was a jolly, humorous, eccentric Chan Buddhist monk in the 10th century, renowned for wandering aimlessly with a sack of either his few personal belongings or candies for children.  According to Wikipedia, his name was Qieci, but he is often referred to as Budai (which literally means cloth sack), Hotei or Hotai. According to the legend, when he died, he claimed to be an incarnation of the future Buddha.
 
He is usually pictured overweight, bald, in a simple robe, laughing, with a huge belly, and his sack. The laughter shows one can be happy without many worldly things and the belly represents wealth and prosperity (as if these two concepts are not contradictory, if we may editorialize). 
 
In this depiction, it appears he has two bags, one with a laughing child sticking his head out. This image reportedly represents happiness, prosperity, and blessings for the family.
 
We believe our grandmother inherited this piece from the Burr sisters who visited China in the 1920s and 1930s. We do not know what kind of metal it is, but it is quite heavy for its size. It is in very good vintage condition, no visible cracks or damage.
 
H 1 3/4” x L 1 1/2” x D 1”
 
Disclaimer: We have tried to make sure colors shown in photos are representative of the real colors of each item. We have tried to identify all imperfections in descriptions, but we may have missed some. If you are unhappy with your purchase, let us know.