Guo Quan

CHINA; Tang dynasty

Guo Quan was a calligrapher, sutra copyist, and scholar. In 648, he was ordered to copy the Samantapasadika, which is one of the five commentaries on the vinaya of Southern Buddhism. His written copy of the vinaya contained 275 lines, each with 17 characters. The end of the manuscript noted the title as Samantapasadika and indicated that it was written by Guo in 648. Since it was rare for a sutra copyist to identify his name during this time period, the scroll is regarded as a precious historical document with immense value. The calligraphic style seen in the manuscript is thought to be concise, delicate, and lively. On the back side of the work, there are brief comments with praises by renowned calligraphers Zhao Mengfu, Ni Zan, Feng Zizhen, and Dong Qichang. Among them, Zhao complimented Guo for having acquired the styles of Chu Suiliang and Xue Ji, two of the Four Great Calligraphers of the Early Tang period.