Stele of Sataek Jijeok

KOREA; Baekje period

This stele was erected in memory of Sataek Jijeok, a high-ranking official of Baekje period (18 BCE–663 CE). The stele consists of a total of 56 characters in 4 lines, with each line having 14 characters. Much of the stele is now damaged beyond recognition, although some characters are still discernible. The inscription records the story of Sataek Jijeok and his contributions to Mireuksa Temple, a prominent ancient temple of the Baekje period. It is currently displayed at Buyeo National Museum and was listed as Provincial Tangible Cultural Property No. 101 of South Chungcheong.
The calligraphy of this stele evidently pursued the standard style of the Tang regular script, resulting in characters that are square, upright, and well balanced. The neat and tidy composition is similar to the works of Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907) calligrapher Ouyang Xun. It demonstrates the meticulous and cautious style of the calligrapher.