Quranic script and stone carving

Carved by Wang Fengtong [王凤桐] & family. Based on a hand-written Muṣḥaf (codex) from Ahong Chen Guangyuan [陈广元] [from 天下回回 WeChat Official Account]

The practice of stone carving is an important part of Chinese history, art, and culture, and likely one of mankind’s oldest crafts. This video presents a fascinating confluence of stone carving and traditional Islamic calligraphy. The video shows how Wang Fengtong [王凤桐], along with three generations of his family, carved the entire Quran [古兰经] on a set of Taishan cornerstone slabs (Shandong Province). The carving was based on a hand-written Muṣḥaf (codex) from Ahong Chen Guangyuan [陈广元].

The full set of the Wang family’s Quranic tablets were donated to Beijing’s Dongsi Mosque upon completion. Here is a link to the speech at the donation ceremony: https://www.kuaisougongwen.com/fwzx-kszy-190430171848335.html

These Sino-Muslim Literacies are a confluence of Sino-Arabic calligraphy and traditional Chinese stone carving.