Stele commissioned by Li Zhewang (真王), Yao Langzi (姚郎字), and other members of a devotional society dated 528 (1st year of Jianyi reign) China Steles of this type were common in the early sixth century. The dedicatory inscription on the base dates the work to the sixth month of the year 528 and indicates that it was commissioned by a group of seventy individuals on behalf of the emperor, the country, and various ancestors. As was customary, symbolic portraits of these patrons, arranged hierarchically, can be seen on the front, sides, and back of the stele. The two most important individuals are depicted inside small pavilions at top, and other major figures are shown just above the inscription, accompanied by attendants. The grouping of a central Buddha with two bodhisattvas and two monks is typical of the period, as are the two lions and two guardians.A brief interpolation between the main text and the date in the inscription states that a certain individual performed a meritorious ac