Figure of a Maitreya on a Tiered Pedestal

The pendant legs of this image indicate that he is the next historical figure to achieve enlightenment and spread Buddhist teachings in a future time when the current historical Buddha's teachings will have been forgotten. Nepalese artists were famous for their skill in woodcarving. Since wood is scarce in Tibet, Nepalese woodworkers were invited to import materials and work in wealthy Tibetan monasteries and palaces and were important transmitters of styles and iconographies.