Chushi Fanqi

CHINA, Zhejiang, Ningbo; Yuan dynasty

Chushi Fanqi was a Chan monk from Qingyuan (present day Ningbo, Zhejiang). He renounced at the age of nine, and studied under Yuansou Xingduan, an eminent Chan master of the Linji school of Chan Buddhism at Jingshan. Master Chushi later served as abbot of several temples around Zhejiang including Tianning Yongqi Temple, Fuzhen Temple, and Baoguo Temple. Renowned for his adeptness in teaching the Dharma, he was granted the title, Chan Master of the Buddha Sun, Universal Illumination, and Wise Disputation, by the Emperor in 1347 of the Yuan dynasty.
Master Chushi was also a well-known calligrapher, exhibiting particular skill in running script. At the age of 29, he was given an imperial decree to transcribe the Tripitaka in gold lettering. His style was influenced by Su Shi, characterized by rich and powerful brushstrokes within tight compositions. His calligraphic works include inscriptions on the five Chan themed paintings by Indara: Hanshan and Shide, Budai, Master Danxia Burning Wooden Buddha Statues, Master Zhichang and Li Bo, and Master Zhichang and Zhang Shuibu, all five of which have been listed as National Treasures of Japan. Three other calligraphic works were collected as Important Cultural Properties in Japanese museums including the Eisei Bunko Museum in Tokyo, MOA Museum of Art in Atami, Japan, and the Gotoh Museum in Tokyo.