Yan Zhenqing: Illustrated Explanation of the Strokes in "Yan Qinli Stele"

Author: Lü Jinzhu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-03-01
Features: The Yan Qinli Stele, also known as the Stele of Yan Qinli, was inscribed by Yan Zhenqing for his great-grandfather, Yan Qinli. Originally carved on all four sides, it now survives with two sides and one side remaining. The stele's front has nineteen lines, each with thirty-eight characters, while the back has twenty lines, each with thirty-eight characters. The side has five lines, each with thirty-seven characters. The inscriptions on the left side were worn away during the Northern Song Dynasty, leaving no record of the stele's dedication date. In October 1922, the stele was unearthed from the old provincial treasury hall in Xi'an, and in 1948, it was moved to its current location at the Xi'an Stele Forest. This stele represents the late period of Yan Zhenqing's fully mature calligraphic style. It exudes a grand and powerful aura, and having been buried underground for a long time, it was unearthed relatively late, untouched by later generations' alterations. Its expression is extremely solemn.