Guangfu Temple: Stele of Qingzhou Relic Pagoda

CHINA, Shandong, Qingzhou; Sui dynasty

This stele was originally located at Guangfu Temple in Yidu (present day Qingzhou, Shandong). The inscription is comprised of 12 lines, each consisting of 12 characters. The text is written in a mix of clerical and regular scripts. Strokes appear lower on the left and higher on the right in a breaking wave formation, with the angular corners of regular script and the horizontal stroke endings of clerical script. The brushstrokes create a sparse and clear composition.
This particular work is considered one of the finer among clerical stele inscriptions after the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE). Clerical script calligraphy of the Sui dynasty (581–618) referenced that of the Northern Dynasties (386–581), and sharply contrasted with the earlier Han dynasty style. The Sui dynasty style subsequently influenced the calligraphic works of the Tang dynasty (618–907).