This Nepalese figure shows a pious Buddhist lay woman seated in an attitude of worship. These sculptures are known as donor figures because they represent people who donated groups of sacred images to their local temples in order to gain religious merit. The donor figures were then placed alongside the other images in the shrine. Whereas most Nepalese sculptures depict gods and demons, realistic works are fairly rare and this is one of the earliest examples of portraiture in Nepalese art.

The impressive display of jewellery suggests the donor was a relatively wealthy woman. Her necklaces and earrings would have been made of silver, while the oval pendant on her chest probably contained a charm of Sanskrit scriptures to protect her from harm. She is shown wearing her best temple going clothes - a pleated cotton skirt, coat and shawl - with her hair plaited in a pigtail at the back.

Cast from a brassy copper alloy, the figure was originally fire gilded and some traces of the gilding still survive. Parts of the image were subsequently plastered and painted and patches of gesso can still be seen around the necklaces and earrings.