These small pillars were part of the multitiered bases of stupas—sacred Buddhist monuments. The figures that faced toward the viewer are four-armed bodhisattvas—beings on the path to perfect enlightenment. The Tibetan syllable carved at the top of the moldings denotes the position where this piece belongs in the series of other small double-sided pillars. The figures on the opposite sides, facing the stupa and unseen by visitors, are figures of four-armed goddesses who make offerings of music or gifts to the stupa. On these examples, one plays a drum; the other holds a lotus.

The figures stand on the center of a lotus flower that emerges from an overflowoing pot of abundance. Such imagery indicates that the faithful veneration of this monument will bring productive and abundant good results.