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The sculpture is a relic that was discovered at Baliancheng (八連城), which is believed to be the fourth capital of the ancient Korean kingdom Balhae. It is the most intact among similar sculptures from Balhae remaining today and is being kept at the Tokyo National Museum in Japan. Sculptures of two seated buddhas usually feature Shakyamuni Buddha (釋迦佛) and Prabhutaratna Buddha (多寶佛) seated side by side in a Dabotap (多寶塔), which is a pagoda of many treasures. This kind of sculpture was actively produced after the times of the Northern Wei (北魏) dynasty in China. Few have survived among those produced in Korea, including the gold-bronze sculpture of two seated buddhas excavated from the site of Hwangnyongsa, a temple that existed during Unified Silla, and the rock-carved image of two seated buddhas at Goesan from the Goryeo dynasty.

The most notable feature of this 29 centimeter sculpture is the posture of the hands (手印). Both buddhas have their hands naturally placed on their knees with the right hand of the buddha to the left laid on top of the left hand of the buddha to the right. This unique portrayal of buddha's warm, humane nature cannot be found in any other sculpture of two seated buddhas from countries or kingdoms other than Balhae.