A dense ceramic is used to create this Happy Buddha statue. Looks and feel like bronze metal, the statue measures 15 inches high and 10 inches wide. The statue has dusty highlights to give it an antique look. Intentional small cracks, dents and chips further enhance the artistic antique appearance of the statue. The image of the Laughing Buddha is based on a wandering Chinese monk, Budai (Hotei, in Japanese) who lived centuries ago and is believed to be Maitreya, or the Buddha to come. The statue's plump figure and benign countenance suggest contentment, magnanimity and plenitude.