In Tibetan Buddhism, Amitayus was one of the manifestations of Amitabha, who became one of three of the most popular Buddha figures in early Chinese Buddhism. In contrast to Amitabha, the Lord of the Western Paradise, Amitayus was the Buddha of Infinite Longevity, usually seen, as on this style, holding the kalasa vase containing the elixir of immor tality. There are prolific numbers of bronze figures of Amitayus of the 17th to 18th centuries, attesting to his popularity at this time. This stone example is rare, but accords with paintings of the deity of this period, both in its use of colours as well as its highly stylized idiom of portrayal.