Re-thinking the Trübner stele: pictorial forms and authenticity

ABSTRACT The Trubner stele, a large Chinese Buddhist stele displayed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, is carved from grayish black limestone and commemorates the building of a Buddhist monastery in Qi county, Henan province, China. According to the inscription, it is dated 533 to 543 C.E. It was named after the art dealer Jorg Trubner (1902?-1930) who acquired the stele for the museum in 1929. Engraved in high relief, the stele contains numerous images, including the preaching Buddha with attendants, pictorial representation of the Vimalakirti Sutra, donor figures, small seated Buddha niches, spirit guardian kings, grooms and lions. Because of the excellent craftsmanship of the stele and the complexity of the composition, it has been referred to by previous scholars as a monumental, antique work now preserved in the West. However, some scholars doubt its authenticity, and, in this case, the leading scholar is Wai-kam Ho who published his article in 1999, since when the stele has been the subject of considerable controversy. In this article, focusing on Ho’s arguments, I compared this stele to other dated steles and images, considering textual sources, thematic content, iconography and style, and I have come to the conclusion that this stele is genuine.