Handcrafted Vietnam White Marble Buddha Statue – Teaching (Scroll), 1.5ft

Budai with an unfurled scroll

This is Budai, the Laughing Buddha, seated upright with an unfurled scroll held open in both hands and an expression that suggests he has just reached the amusing part. It is an uncommon treatment — the scroll-reading Budai is a scholar's version of a figure usually shown celebrating — and it gives the piece a quieter, more companionable presence than the arms-raised forms.

The stone is Vietnam white marble: cool-toned, bright, fine-crystalline, with low-contrast grey veining and a little translucency where the stone thins at an edge. The surface is left matte with the natural grain visible, so the chisel marks along the robe and the crisp lines of the open scroll stay readable rather than being buffed smooth.

An 18-inch Buddha as a tabletop piece, and commissioning yours

At 18 inches this is a tabletop piece rather than a floor one. It suits a study shelf, a desk, a reading corner, or a niche beside books — settings where the scroll makes sense — and it is small enough not to dominate them. The durable marble also takes a sheltered outdoor spot such as a covered veranda, though the paintwork-free matte finish is at its best indoors under soft, even light.

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 scroll form can be carved larger for a hall or an office, and in Makrana white marble or black stone if the room calls for more contrast. Tell us where it will sit and we will quote it.