Re-examining The Diamond Sūtra Manuscript S.P.2 And Sacred Book Culture In The Tang Dynasty

Abstract

Since Kumārajīva translated the Vajracchedikā Prajñāpāramitā Sūtra (Diamond Sūtra) into Chinese in 402, it has become one of the most important and widely circulated sūtras of Chinese Buddhism. Over 2,000 manuscripts (scribed and printed) of the Diamond Sūtra were found in the Dunhuang “Library Cave”; one 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 for 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, examining 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 study of the painting and calligraphic styles of Wu Daozi and Liu Gongquan of the Tang dynasty, this paper shows that the woodblock print S.P.2 was created under the influence of the Chang’an 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 established the model for the woodblock print by collaborative artwork from contemporary master painters, calligraphers, and court engravers.