Diamond Sutra

CHINA; Qing dynasty

As stated in Zha Sheng’s colophon, this scroll was written in 1694 at the Wulin Monastic Quarters. The preface to the scroll contains the four characters, “Cangshan Chuanren” (hidden in the mountains, passed down as teachings), written by the monk, Dashou in a pure and simple style. The four-character text probably referred to this Diamond Sutra scroll as an artifact so important and valuable, it should either be stored in the mountains, or be disseminated to the masses.
Zha Sheng was a well-known calligrapher during the rule of Emperor Kangxi (reigned 1661–1722) of the Qing dynasty. He was also known to be a keen learner of Dong Qichang’s style. This view is upheld by the mild semblances in this scroll when compared with Dong Qichang’s version of Prabhutaratna Pagoda Stele, albeit with lighter brushwork. The character structure is also less dense compared to the Tang regular script. These differences account for the slender and buoyant nature that characterizes Zha Sheng’s calligraphy. Each character is canted to the left, and the composition is spacious, similar to Dong’s works. A sense of ease and openness is expressed in the sutra scroll, which is considered an impressive effort with a distinct intellectual appeal.