The youthful figure depicted in this statue wears his hair in two buns, a style known as mizura suited to a boy of his age. It shares sculpture techniques with statues of Shinto deities, and so this may be an image of a kami as well. The shallow mode of carving and subtle expression of its small eyes and nose suggest that it was produced in the first half of the twelfth century.  
Audio guide 

This statue with its hair parted at the center and tied above the ears in the youthful mizura style is likely a representation of a kami, or a Shinto deity, in the guise of a child. There are many statues of native Japanese deities carved in similar styles and using similar techniques. The shallow carving and the slight features of its small face suggest that it was produced in the early half of the 12th century.
 
IWAI TomojiEnglish by Mary Lewine 
Buddhist Art Paradise: Jewels of the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2021.7, p.336, no.166. 

This youth wears his hair in the mizura style in which the hair is divided in two and tied up atop the head. This type of youthful image often represents the avatar of a Buddhist deity so this statue probably represents a youthful native Japanese deity (kami). The restrained style of the late-Heian period is conspicuous in the moderation shown in the treatment of the physique and the folds of the robe.
 
Yasuo Inamoto 
Masterworks from the Nara Buddhist Sculpture Hall at the Nara National Museum. Nara National Museum, 2012, p.116, no.154.