Mogao Cave 332: Buddha Niche Inscription

CHINA, Gansu, Dunhuang; Wu Zhou period

Originally located on the left side of the west wall in the antechamber of Mogao Cave 332 in Dunhuang, this Buddha niche stele was erected by the family of Li Kerang as a record of their contribution to the restoration of the cave. Both the front and back of the stele are inscribed with characters. As acknowledged on the inscription, the calligrapher was Zhang Dazhong, and the stele was engraved between 698 and 700 during the rule of Empress Wu Zetian (reigned 684–705) of the Tang dynasty. The inscription contains a plenitude of historical documentation, beginning from the founding of the cave by monk Lezun in 366, to the construction and development of the Mogao Caves in the following 400 years. Only a portion of the stele remains today and is currently located at the Dunhuang Research Academy of China.
According to Illustrated Records of Shazhou, Zhang Dazhong was a descendant of the renowned Eastern Han dynasty (25–220) calligrapher, Zhang Zhi. This stele inscription was written in regular script and its characters are confined within a square layout. The brushstrokes are distinct and uniquely articulated. Given it was produced during the Tang dynasty (618–907) when regular script was undergoing rapid development, this stele inscription is regarded to be of particularly high quality.