The Art of Diamond Sūtra Manuscript S.P.2 in the Tang Dynasty

Abstract

The manuscript of the Diamond Sūtra, now on display at the British Museum, is the world's oldest and most comprehensive intact printed book (Stein Collection Item no.S.P.2.). It is dated in the colophon, which reads: the 9th year of Xiantong (868) of the Tang Dynasty. Due to its importance regarding the history of Chinese Buddhism and the development of printing technology, it has attracted widespread academic attention. In this paper, I will focus on the artistic traditions of the manuscript to examine the S.P.2. Diamond Sūtra from three perspectives: (1) the painting style of the frontispiece; (2) the calligraphy style of the engraved characters; and (3) the government official stone engraver. Through the study of the painting and calligraphic styles of Wu Daozi and Liu Gongquan in the Tang dynasty, this paper explores the woodblock print S.P.2 that was created under the influence of Chang’an model artistic tradition. There is evidence of two government official engravers’ names, Qiang Yan (強演) and Shao Jianhe (邵建和), inscribed on the colophon of the stone rubbings Diamond Sūtra written by Liu Gongquan (柳公權). The workshop team has established the model of woodblock print by collaborative artwork from contemporary master painters, calligraphers, and court engravers.