This Maitreya (弥勒佛, mile fo, the Buddha of the Future) sits with right leg crossed over the left knee on a raised circular base. His left hand rests on his right knee while the touches the side of his face. The modelling of the facial expression is subtle, with smiling mouth, moon-shaped eyes, and raised eyebrows. The figure is dressed in a long robe that clings to the body and drapes in loose folds over his legs. There are traces of red, black, and gold pigment on the drapery and halo. A seated Buddha was painted at the back of the halo.Dated as tiaobao Er nian (天保二年) i.e., 551 AD, the calligraphy shares similar style with the stele of Ma Jingxin and the fifty people (馬敬賢五十人等造像記, ca 552).
