Tang Li Sixin Stele

Author: Xiao Cang (Compiler)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-02-01
Features: Stele of Li Sixin, also known as the "Stele of the General of Cloud Banners" in Running Script, thirty lines, seventy characters per line. Carved in the eighth year of the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty (720). The stele is located in Pucheng, Shaanxi. The inscriptions on the stele record the life and achievements of Li Sixin, and it is one of the representative works of the renowned Tang Dynasty calligrapher Li Yong. Li Yong (678–747), styled Taihe, was proficient in calligraphy, especially in Running Script, and studied under Wang Xizhi. His calligraphy is characterized by strong brushwork, grand, and a tendency toward leaning and dynamic forms, giving it a natural and lively appearance. This rubbing is a Northern Song Dynasty edition, with mellow and ancient ink color, and is meticulously executed. It is a fine example once collected by the modern scholar Zhang Wei.