Longmen Grottoes: Four Outstanding Inscriptions - Inscription of Sculpture Commissioned by Wei Lingzang

CHINA, Henan, Luoyang; Northern Wei dynasty

This inscription, known in full as the Inscription of Sculpture Commissioned by Wei Lingzang, Chief Magistrate of Luhun, and Xue Fashao of Hedong, is one of the Four Outstanding Inscriptions of the Longmen Grottoes. The inscription was engraved to document the philanthropic endeavors of officials, Wei Lingzang and Xue Fashao, who donated the statue of Sakyamuni Buddha in response to a solicitation from monk Huicheng. Carved on the north wall of the Grotto 1443 (Guyang Grotto) at the Longmen Grottoes in Henan, the text carries a heading reading, “Sakyamuni Statue,” at the top center, while the names of Wei Lingzang and Xue Fashao appear to the right and left sides respectively. Below, the main contents consist of 10 lines of 23 characters each. Although the work is undated, it is estimated to be from the same period as the Inscription of Sculpture Commissioned by Yang Dayan found at the same location.
The characters were cautiously engraved in square format. The horizontal strokes are slightly inclined, dipping to the left, and the height of each character is shorter than its width. The style reveals indications of clerical script, and the use of pressure and release within the brushstrokes was executed with pristine clarity. Both center and side tip brush techniques were used, and the orderly layout, along with the balance of bold and delicate strokes, distinguishes this work from the rest of the Longmen Grottoes inscriptions.