Handcrafted Bhainslana Black Marble Laughing Buddha Statue, Meditation, 3ft

Budai, not Gautama: the Laughing Buddha in black marble

This is the Laughing Buddha (Budai, the wandering monk of Chinese tradition, not Gautama), seated in a settled meditation pose rather than the usual raised-arm celebration. The rounded belly, the broad smile and the easy posture are all there, but the stillness gives the figure a quieter register than the standing forms usually carry.

The stone is Bhainslana black marble from Rajasthan: dense, near-black and free of visible veining. It carries a deep mirror polish, so light gathers in broad highlights on the belly, the shoulders and the smiling face, while the folds of the robe fall to black. The polish keeps the chisel lines around the robe and the contours of the face crisp against the dark tone.

A 3ft Laughing Buddha at home, and commissioning yours

At 36 inches it is sized to be the centrepiece of a home shrine, a hotel lobby, a reception or a planted alcove beside a path. A dark polished figure against green foliage or a light wall holds its edge in a way pale stone does not. Marble keeps a mirror polish best out of the rain, so outdoors choose a covered spot such as a verandah or a courtyard under a roof.

Every piece is made to order. This one is carved for you by the master sculptors we work with in Jaipur. We develop the design with you, brief the sculptor, and follow it through to delivery at your door. The same seated Budai is regularly ordered between about 18 inches and four feet, in the same polished black marble. Tell us where it will sit and we will quote it.