The seven Buddhas appear in early Buddhist iconography symbolizing the Buddhas of the Past. By the end of the Six Dynasties period in the 5th Century, these multiple images became individual objects of worship. In the Tang period, many were made for personal devotion.

For an elaborate example in the Nezu Museum with the seven Buddhas with different hand gestures dated to the late Sui, or early Tang Dynasty, see Special Exhibition: Chinese Gilt Bronze Statues of Buddhism, 1992, Yamato Bunkakan Museum, Nara, catalogue, pl. 50. Another Tang period example from the Nitta Group Collection was included in the exhibition, The Crucible of Compassion and Wisdom, 1987, National Palace Museum, Taipei, pl. 77