Ding Daohu

CHINA, Anhui, Bozhou; Sui dynasty

Ding Daohu was a calligrapher from Qiaoguo (present day Bozhou, Anhui). He was accomplished in regular script calligraphy, extracting the strengths of various schools, and imparting great influence on the regular script of the Early Tang period (618–712). Huang Bosi of the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127) commented on Ding’s works as “neither ancient nor modern, but orderly, strong, and charming.”
His extant calligraphic work, Stele at Qifa Temple, was one of the few Sui dynasty steles that included an artist signature. The regular script calligraphy of the stele was written within a straight and even framework with rigorous form exhibiting influences of the Northern Wei dynasty (386–534). Another work of calligraphy by Ding is the Stele of Xingguo Temple, which was erected in Hubei in 586, but no longer exists.