Reclining Buddha Temple Stele

Author: Compiled by the Editorial Department
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2000-12-01
Features: This stele was written by Biao of Runan and inscribed by Ding Daohu of Qiao. It was erected in the second year of Renshou (602) during the reign of Emperor Wen of Sui. The stele was located in Xiangyang, Hubei, and had been lost for a long time. It was highly valued and rediscovered during the Northern Song Dynasty. Currently, only a single rubbing copy remains, which has been passed down to Japan. Ding Daohu (dates unknown), from Qiao (now Anhui Province), held the position of Secretary of the sacrifices in Xiangzhou. Cai Yun said: "Ding Daohu's calligraphy combines the legacy of the Northern Wei dynasty, and during the transition between the Sui and Tang dynasties, many skilled calligraphers followed his style, with Ding Daohu being among the most prominent." (Collected Works of Cai Zhonghui). Mi Fu's "Commentaries on the Famous Calligraphers" states: "Ding Daohu's calligraphy in the Qifashi Stele was unparalleled at the time, and Cai Junmo highly praised it in his annotations, calling it 'exquisite and surpassing all others.'"
The Sui Dynasty was a period of convergence, integration, and development of calligraphy from the Northern and Southern Dynasties, as well as the foundation for the scale of Tang Dynasty regular script. Overall, the calligraphy of this period represented a transition from clumsiness to refinement, from wildness to regularity. This transformation marked the increasing maturity of calligraphy as an art form, yet its uncertainty also allowed for greater freedom and choice in calligraphic expression. Even within the works of a single calligrapher like Ding Daohu, there were differences. Zhao Mengjian once compared Ding Daohu's Qifashi Stele and Xingguo Stele, noting: "The Qifashi Stele is exquisite, tracing its lineage to Ouyang Xun and Yu Shinan. The Xingguo Stele, however, is rough, as if written by a different hand. The contrast between the exquisite and the rough is truly remarkable."
The Qifashi Stele features precise brushwork, regular strokes, strong lines, and square, well-structured characters. As Lu Xue remarked: "Examining the brushwork of the Qifashi Stele, it is sharp yet returns to simplicity, washing away the remnants of the Six Dynasties era and paving the way for Ouyang Xun and Chu Zhi." From the perspective of character form, the stele combines strength with a gentle, wandering brushstroke—a clear echo of the lingering influence of the clumsy style of clerical script. The spacious structure, meanwhile, continues the tradition of Six Dynasties steles.
Inheriting from the Han, Wei, and Six Dynasties and opening the way for the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming dynasties, the Qifashi Stele presents an artistic realm to posterity that embodies both historical depth and temporal continuity.