A finely modelled Chinese, Song Dynasty, square ceramic tile, featuring the image of a Buddhist figure, likely Putai (or Budai the Laughing Buddha, 布袋), set in a circular niche. The figure, rendered in high-relief, is depicted in his typical image: a fat, bald monk with a huge stomach, wearing a simple robe with a cloth sack and holding a chaplet. He also bears a jolly expression featuring a radiant smile. The reverse presents vertical grooves which were possibly intended to increase the grip of the tile for attachment to a surface. Earthly encrustations throughout. Signs of wear as consistent with age, such as chips to the edges and surface, scratches, and indentations. The Song Dynasty ruled China during one of its most brilliant and sophisticated cultural epochs, marking a high point for innovation in economy, science, engineering, and warfare. The Dynasty saw the introduction of the first banknotes and the first recorded chemical formula for gunpowder, as well as large-scale experimental architecture and a new intellectual interest in the arts. Measurements: (circa) L 28.9cm x W 29cm x H 5cm Provenance: Ex West Country, UK, collection, 1980-1990s. N.B. Heavy shipping applies.