The Buddha wears a loose coat covering both shoulders and falling in folds over the body. He stands barefooted on a square plinth, and his facial features are both delicately handsome and solemn. His wavy hair is combed back and gathered into a bun (ushnisha ) on the top of his head. In the middle of his forehead, between the eyebrows, is the baihao (white hair), a little round spot or curl which is a symbol of the Buddha. His almond-shaped eyes are looking downward, and his mouth is firmly closed. Behind and above him is a disc-shaped halo without any decorative patterns.

The ancient Gandhara region is one of the cradles of Buddhism, roughly located in the area of modern Pakistan. The statues from this region blend the aesthetic styles of ancient Greece, Rome, and India, and are important historical, religious, and artistic artifacts. These statues are also seminal artifacts in the context of Buddhist art along the Silk Road: with their magnificent beauty and brilliant splendor, they have had a considerable impact on the development of Buddhist art in China.