Lay Practitioners and Monastics

CHINA; Qing dynasty

A lay practitioner is a devotee who has taken refuge in the Triple Gems and Five Precepts. Male devotees are called “upasaka” and females are called “upasika.” A monastic is someone who has renounced from home life to fully devote themselves to the practice of Buddhism and study of the Dharma; the male and female counterparts are known as “bhiksu” and “bhiksuni,” respectively.
Both the composition and sinuous seal script of this piece are that of the Zhejiang school influence, but the seal also incorporates the Han style layout of characters reading in a clockwise direction. Techniques employed by the famed Chen Hongshou are observed, and the twists and turns of the engraved lines are typical of Zhejiang school seals. The overall rugged appearance of the piece is overshadowed by a smooth liveliness, exhibited by both straight and convoluted lines.
Also known as Yisun or Guyun, Sun Jun was an expert seal engraver, calligrapher, and painter of the Qing dynasty (1644–1911). He was a native of Hangzhou, Zhejiang, and was the grandson of Sun Shiyi, a well-known official of the Qing dynasty. In painting, his depictions of nature took after that of Xu Wei and Chen Chun. His seal works were strict in composition and utilized the chopping cut engraving technique, producing pieces that have an overall quiet and solemn essence.