Daming Temple: Heart Sutra

CHINA, Jiangsu, Yangzhou; Qing dynasty

A work of Deng Shiru completed at Daming Temple in Yangzhou, Jiangsu, this Heart Sutra was transcribed onto the wall of the east gallery in the northern compound of Qingkong Hall. Deng practiced diligently and personally supervised the engraving of his calligraphy onto the wall. The inscribed stele remains intact today, and it is an uncommon showcase of Deng Shiru’s handwriting through a Buddhist text.
Deng Shiru, originally named Yan and also known as Wanbo, was a famous calligrapher and seal engraver of the Qing dynasty. Deng was well-versed in all calligraphic styles, but he excelled particularly in seal and clerical scripts. The seal script of later periods was modeled after stele headers of the Han dynasty, which were written with elongated form, extended strokes, and a buoyant appearance.
The seal script employed in this piece is achieved using various strokes in clerical script, with a tall character structure. A sense of liberation is incited in the thick, broad strokes and rounded lines, which produces a steadfast and magnanimous feel that is prevalent across the work.