This finely-cast figure of the bodhisattva Amitayus is seated in the meditation posture on a circular double-lotus base. With a serene expression and downcast eyes, he holds a long-life vase, signifying his power to bestow longevity and healing. Amitayus, the subject of the present sculpture, is one of the most popular meditational deities in Vajrayana Buddhism where he is highly revered for his longevity attributes, pure perception and awareness of the emptiness of phenomena. According to the Larger Sutra of Immeasurable Life, compiled during the first or second century CE, the infinite merits possessed by the deity resulted from the performance of good deeds in his past lives as a bodhisattva named Dharmakara. Having attained enlightenment, the deity resides in the Pure land of Sukhavati.
The inscription at the back of the lotus base can be translated as: "Zangpo Pel commissioned this Amitayus for his benevolent parents to achieve buddhahood." Although the exact identity of Zangpo Pel is not known, his choice to commission an image of Amitayus in respect to his parents was appropriate, considering the deity's longevity powers.