Modern Boxwood Carving with Six Toddlers Playing with Maitreya by Wang Fengzuo

The artisan of this piece Wang Fengzuo (1905-1993 AD), born in Yueqing, Zhejiang province, was a renowned boxwood carving master who developed the art of boxwood carving to a new level based on inheritance from his predecessors.
By presenting a scene of six toddlers playing with Maitreya via the medium of boxwood carving, this piece visualized the folklore that Maitreya, once seduced by five demons of greed, namely, for money, lust, fame, food and sleep, remained calm and untouched. The Maitreya here, with the typical image of a big head and broad ears, is clad in a loose robe of broad sleeves with his belly and feet. Holding the opening of a cloth bag in his left hand, the Buddha is seated with crossed legs, leaning towards the bag, with his right hand resting on the ground.
The Buddha has a big smile on his face, surrounded by five toddlers, with one tearing the Buddha’s string of prayers, one pulling his cloth bag, one picking his ears while sitting on his shoulder, constituting a vivid scene of joyful playing. There is an inscription of “by Wang Fengzuo, in October, 1975” on the back of this sculpture.