Reclining Ho Ho Boy Charm

This 19th-century weight originally used its heft domestically to protect a child. A simple yet ingenious concept, the stone anchored the baby’s swaddling cloth to the bed so the child wouldn’t roll out. The handle of this glazed ceramic weight is shaped as a sleeping boy, mirroring the posture of a reclining buddha. Children, sometimes referred to as ho ho boys, are a common motif in Chinese art, and, like many buddhas, are considered charms for prosperity and abundance.