This imposing sculpture of a King should be compared with the portrait of Kanishka in the Government Museum, Mathura, which dates from AD 78 - AD 101. The tunic and trousers derive from Scythian origin but differ from the Kanishka and Castana sculptures in Mathura in that the skirt is pleated with an overlapped hem. The belt is beautifully rendered in great detail reminiscent of the gold and silver jewelry associated with the Scythians of Central Asia. The second belt holds a massive sword that denotes the King as the Protector of his empire. This monumental sculpture, with its broad chest and imposing demeanor, portrays a King in all his majesty as the Overlord of his empire.

Coins that were issued with a comparable stance and likeness of King Kanishka I are integral in defining the dates of his reign, though there are few extant life-size sculptures of the first king of the Kushana Empire.
For comparison and a further discussion of the reign of King Kanishka I, see Czuma, Stanislaw J., Kushan Sculpture: Images from Early India, fig. 11, pp. 1-42.
For a discussion of the era, see Pal, Pratapaditya, Indian Sculpture, Volume I, pp. 151-154.