The Inscription of the Grand Dowager Marquis of the Northern Wei, etc. three kinds

Author: Fang Chuanxin
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-07-01
Features: The Great Series of Chinese Folk Calligraphy. Epigraphy, in terms of its medium, includes temple steles, inscribed stones, tomb monuments, epitaphs, Buddhist statues, tower inscriptions, brick carvings, cliff inscriptions, inscriptions on pillars of scripture halls, and figure inscriptions, etc. These valuable historical artifacts are the physical materials for studying epigraphy. After Buddhism was introduced to China during the Eastern Han Dynasty, it developed alongside Taoism. During the Three Kingdoms, the Jin Dynasty, and the Northern and Southern Dynasties, (local lords were in power) and frequent wars, coupled with natural disasters and human misfortunes, made life short and difficult. To seek spiritual solace, people turned to Buddhism and Taoism, leading to the construction of new temples and pagodas, the creation of Buddhist statues, and the building of Buddhist temples. Literary scholars of the time were hired to write inscriptions to commemorate significant events, carve stones into steles, and the practice of engraving steles flourished. Among these, the creation of Buddhist statues was a significant form. The term "" (Buddhist statue) refers to records of people investing in the creation of statues as acts of merit. The Northern Wei Dynasty 《》 (Taimfei Hou Statue) in this volume was carved in the fourth year of the Jingming era. This statue is profound, ancient, and unique. Its horizontal strokes slightly lift at the end, rich in the style of clerical script, while its overall form is between square and rectangular, with dynamic tilts, expansions, and contractions. In its sharp and vigorous style, it reveals an unrestrained and free spirit. Due to the freedom of its calligraphy, it exhibits many variations, undoubtedly a fine piece among Northern Wei statues. The Western Wei Dynasty 《》 (Jiemengguang Statue) was carved in the fourteenth year of the Datong era. Its structure is also between square and rectangular, with purely square-cut strokes and no variation in the middle sections of the strokes, clearly an immature regular script. Yet, in its simplicity, it carries a sense of antiquity, making it suitable for study alongside the two Cao Dynasty scripts due to their similar styles. The Northern Qi Dynasty 《》 (Nanzi Cai Statue) was carved in the second year of the Ti Tong era by Nanzi Cai for his deceased father. Due to the rough stone and erosion from wind and rain, the inscriptions are heavily worn and blurred. However, from the brushwork in the rubbing of the entire piece, this statue seems to retain the style of Western Han Dynasty stone inscriptions, giving it an ancient and robust feel, which is deeply thought-provoking. Its calligraphy has the essence of seal script in its strokes and the essence of clerical script in its structure, with elongated characters that defy the flat and square features typical of Wei Dynasty steles. Thus, it stands out among Northern Dynasty steles for its uniqueness. Here, the three statues are combined into one volume and published in a photolithographic edition to delight the ().