Guide to Practicing the Liqi Stele

Author: Lei Zhixiong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Guidance for Practicing Famous Calligraphic Works of Chinese History - Clerical Script. The "Liqi Stele" is a representative work from the mature period of Eastern Han Dynasty clerical script. It is relatively standardized within Han clerical script and is one of the best model texts for learning clerical script. The full name of the "Liqi Stele" is "Han Lu Xiang Han Chuo Zao Kongmiao Liqi Stele." It is also known as the "Han Chuo Stele" and the "Han Mingfu Xiu Kongmiao Stele." It was carved in the second year of the Yongshou era of Emperor Heng of the Eastern Han Dynasty (156 AD) and originally stood in the Yuewu Hall of the Grand Hall of Confucius in Lu County (now Qufu, Shandong). According to the Qing Dynasty scholar Wang Chang's "Shijin Cuiben," the stele is 7 feet 1 inch tall and 3 feet 2 inches wide. The front side has 16 lines of text, with 36 characters per line; the back side has 3 columns, with 17 lines per column; the right side has 4 columns, with 4 lines per column; and the left side has 3 columns, with 4 lines per column. The inscriptions record Lu Xiang Han Chuo's repairs to the Confucius Temple and the creation of ritual vessels. The back side and both sides of the stele list the names and contributions of those who funded its establishment. The characters are complete, making it an important resource for studying Han clerical script art.
The structure of the "Liqi Stele" initially appears extremely rigorous and orderly, but upon closer inspection, one often sees elements of danger and surprise. Yet, with just one or two strokes, it transforms danger into safety, like a general on the battlefield who remains calm amidst chaos. The brushwork is lean and strong, with a crisp yet restrained bone force. The "wild goose tail" and "downward strokes" are often thick and square, which, while providing stability, should not be overdone. The Tang Dynasty's flaw was precisely this excess, which led to a lack of refinement. When discussing brushwork, people often classify the "Liqi Stele" as square brushwork, but in reality, its brilliance lies in its vigor and strength, not in being confined to squareness. The interplay of square and round strokes creates dynamic and static contrasts, making it a masterful example of brushwork.