Longmen Grottoes: Four Outstanding Inscriptions - Inscription of Sculpture Commissioned by Sun Qiusheng

CHINA, Henan, Luoyang; Northern Wei dynasty

One of the acclaimed works of the Four Outstanding Inscriptions of Longmen Grottoes, this record was composed by Meng Guangda and the calligraphy was written by Xiao Xianqing. The article describes a fundraising event organized by Sun Qiusheng, who commissioned the erection and painting of several Buddhist sculptures on the south wall of Grotto 1443 (Guyang Grotto) at the Longmen Grottoes in Luoyang. There are two sections comprising the record, the upper of which has 13 lines with nine words each, while the lower consists of 15 lines with 30 words. Among the Twenty Outstanding Inscriptions of the Longmen Grottoes, this particular work contains the most characters.
The overall piece is composed of sturdy and energetic angular brushstrokes which are canted slightly to the left. Character are well-arranged and appear in both large and small-sized regular script. The inscription found on the lower section of the record is straightforward, natural, and vivid.