Stele of Master Zhizhou at Jianfu Temple

CHINA; Tang dynasty

The text was composed by Han Yunqing, written in calligraphy by Han Zemu, and inscribed on stone by Shi Weize. The 17-line text records the deeds of Master Zhizhou, who taught the Dharma at Jianfu Temple in Shaanxi. Admirable feats such as how Zhizhou spent nights sitting in full lotus position while in deep meditation or chanting the names of the Buddha are documented. Zhizhou was given the posthumous title of Great Vinayadhara of Precepts.
The calligraphy is curvaceous and dynamic within a regular grid framework and most of the characters are horizontally long. The strokes described as having “lengthy waves and draggy feet,” appear subdued when compared to the Han clerical script. The elegant style is balanced by a sense of pureness and simplicity, while the flexibility in character size and the variations in proportions give an overall feeling that is wholesome, original, and refreshing—characteristics that defined the new Tang clerical scripting style. The stele exhibits an outstanding collaboration between Han Zemu and Shi Weize, and is widely regarded as an excellent work of art from the Tang dynasty (618–907).