Dasheng Temple Pagoda: Infinite Life Sutra

CHINA, Zhejiang, Jiaxing; Qing dynasty

This sutra was unearthed from Dasheng Temple Pagoda in Jiashan county of Jiaxing, Zhejiang in 1960. The original manuscript was formatted as an accordion-fold book and written with text from the Infinite Life Sutra. A frontispiece at the start of the main text features the Buddha teaching the Dharma, while an illustration of a Dharma protector flanks the rear. This is a common format found among the sutra manuscripts archived in the Qing palace. Coupled with a colophon at the end which identifies the calligrapher as Ji Huang, an official, the work was likely commissioned by the palace as a gift to the temple.
The commodious structure and steadfast brushstrokes are stylistically reminiscent of works by calligrapher Yan Zhenqing. The curvaceous articulations are, however, a departure from his vigor and firmness, which yield a composed yet stocky form. Written in gold ink, the text evokes a sense of grandeur.
Ji Huang, also known as Shangzuo or Zhuoxiu, was a Qing dynasty scholar and official. Ji was highly proficient in calligraphy and was remarked by Yuan Mei to be “so good at the fine regular script that he was capable of writing on a sesame seed.”