Chi, The Hornless Dragon

The Buddhist Stele Commemorating Song Shixing (宋始兴) appears to be a thin stele decorated with the head of Chi, the hornless dragon. The top and body of the stele are in one piece yet the base is nowhere to be found. Six dragons are carved on the top of the stele façade, hovering with their head facing down and holding the body of the stele in their mouths. On the uppermost part of the stele, a niche with gable roofs and round arch is engraved, inside which sits the Maitreya Buddha wearing a crown with ribbons over shoulder. The columns of the niche respectively, in Regular script, incise the caption of the Pilgrim. The carvings on the stele body divide up into three levels. In the middle of the top level, a stupa with flower motif is carved,
The Bodhisattva is portrayed with peach-shaped bare head, wearing a crown but leaving the torso undressed with long gown for the bottom, sitting in a semi-Lotus Position on a rectangular throne. Waves inundate under the throne within which a sea monster wanders. The lower half of the stele body depicts a large spherical niche, carved with 12 figures including a Buddha, Bodhisattvas, Pratyeka Buddha, Vira, and disciples, showing the scene of Gautama preaching the Dharma. In front of the throne placed two Prithvi lifting a lotus, Boshan incent burner decorated with honeysuckles, and two lion guardians. A lotus pagoda appears at the center of the niche, which enshrines four statues of seated Buddha. On the exterior flank two standing Buddha who point at the pagoda, identified as Gautama Buddha and Prabhutaratna Buddha. Together, the scene entails the passage from the Lotus Sutra (法华经·见宝塔品) when Gautama appears in Mount Lingjiu to sermonize. The two sides of the stele are divided into three levels each carved with a niche. Observing from the top to the bottom, the left side contains two flying Apsaras, four Bhikkhnus, and one Bodhisattva with two Bhikkhnus. Similarly for the right, two small spherical niches each with a meditated Bhikknus and a standing Bhikknus inside occupy the top level. The
The uppermost façade depicts a niche with round arch, within which enshrines a Buddha, two Bodhisattvas and two disciples. The main Buddha wears whole-shoulder Kasaya on top of a Saṃkakṣikā whose hands displays the Dhyana-Mudra form and body in Lotus Position. The lintel of the niche is incised with two flying Apsaras while two accompanying Bodhisattvas flank the niche. The body of the stele presents three stories from the Buddhist record in three columns with bold lines separating different panels. For the upper column, a tent niche is portrayed with ten flying Apsaras at the upper half. Inside the niche, the columns divide the image into three pieces. The middle part is carved with the Maitreya and two Bodhisattvas while the side carvings contain two supporting Bodhisattvas, Apsaras with music instruments, horse-head human body and bird-head human body divinities. The mid column depicts architectural elements including corridors, a pavilion, doors and etc. Within the pavilion on the left sits a Maitreya with a man on horse approaching him. The rider is guided by flying Apsaras and followed by a parade when an individual runs out from the doors, behind which resides an elder man. The scene conveys the story of Gautama meeting an elder man when he is still a prince. The lower column portrays a scenario in the mountains and forests. On the