A large cast bronze figure of seated Budai with boys on a lotus pedestal

Description:

China, inscription reserve on the reverse, Ming dynasty
H. 48 cm
Inscription: 大明國河南汝寧府確山縣拱山前王家□衆會人等造彌勒佛一尊□家堂供住池僧人惠來□守香火 ("In the Great Ming Empire, specifically in Queshan County, Runing Prefecture, Henan Province, and before Mount Gong, the gathered Wang family faith community commissioned a statue of the Maitreya Buddha. It is venerated in the hall of the estate, and the resident monk Huilai has been entrusted with maintaining the incense fire (the care of the shrine)".
From an old European private collection, according to the owner collected in Asia before 1925 - Below the belly filled missing part, slightly chipped and wear