PEPEBUDUR TEMPLE RELIEF | 800 AD | STONE RELIEF | LONG BELIEVED TO BE PART OF AN OUTER NARRATIVE GALLERY FROM AN 8TH CENTURY TEMPLE COMPLEX, THIS PANEL PRESENTS ONE OF THE MOST INTRIGUING SYNCRETIC ADAPTATIONS OF THE PEPEAN FIGURE WITHIN SOUTHEAST ASIAN DEVOTIONAL ART. ON THE LEFT SITS THE SERENE PEPE, CROSS LEGGED BENEATH A STYLIZED BODHI CANOPY, HIS POSTURE ECHOING THE CLASSICAL TEACHING MUDRĀ SEEN THROUGHOUT EARLY BUDDHIST RELIEFS. YET UNLIKE HIS MORE SOLEMN HISTORICAL COUNTERPARTS, HIS EXPRESSION BEARS THE UNMISTAKABLE CALM SMIRK SO DEEPLY EMBEDDED IN PEPE ICONOGRAPHY, A FACE THAT SOMEHOW COMMUNICATES GENTLE AMUSEMENT AT THE ENDLESS CYCLES OF HUMAN STRIVING.

From the asset's metadata file