Cao Quan Stele

Author: Fang Chuanxin
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2000-08-01
Features: "The Cao Quan Stele," full name "The Stele of Cao Quan, Magistrate of Heyang in the Han Dynasty," was erected in the second year of the Zhongping era (185 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is written in Clerical script with twenty lines, each containing forty-five characters. The back of the stele is still intact. It is currently preserved in the Shaanxi Stele Forest. The stele features steady brushwork, an open and elegant form, a balance of square and round strokes with a predominance of round strokes, contained vitality, softness with a hint of firmness, and particularly prominent "silkworm head and wild goose tail" endings. Its method of rendering the "wave" strokes is remarkably similar to that of the "Shimen Sòng Stele," showcasing a masterful parallel in artistry. Since its discovery in Heyang at the beginning of the Wanli era in the Ming Dynasty, the stele has been highly praised by calligraphers.