Lei Yanmei

CHINA; Later Jin dynasty

Lei Yanmei was a woodblock printer of the Later Jin dynasty (936–946). He is often regarded as the earliest craftsman to sign his own works. Two particular pieces that are inscribed with his name were found in Mogao Cave No. 17 at Dunhuang, Gansu. One of these is a woodblock print from the year 947. The left side of the print gives the title of the work, Compassionate Avalokitesvara, and the lower half contains an inscription that is signed, “By the Craftsman, Lei Yanmei.” The woodblock print depicts the Bodhisattva standing barefoot on a lotus throne, with the body leaned slightly toward one side. A circular nimbus surrounds the head and a stole drapes the shoulders and twines over the arms. The entire figure appears in clear and strong lines, demonstrating the artist’s excellent skills in carving.
The other work is a woodblock-printed booklet of the Diamond Sutra, of which only Fascicles 30 to 32 remain. An inscription on the booklet reads, “By Woodblock Official, Lei Yanmei, in the year 950.” This inscription is dated three years later than the previous one, suggesting that Lei had been promoted from a craftsman to Guiyi Army’s official in charge of woodblock printing. These prints, the earliest to be found in Dunhuang, are a testament to the historically sublime artistry of Buddhist engravings during the Five Dynasties (907–960).