North Wei Zhang Menglong Stele

Author: Editorial Board of Selected Calligraphies from Historical Stele Collections
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1997-07-01
Features: The Zhang Menglong Stele was carved during the Zhengguang era of Emperor Xiaoming of Northern Wei (522 AD), in the Zhengguang third year. The stele features regular script incised in reverse, without the name of the calligrapher. The obverse has twenty-four lines, each containing forty-six characters. The reverse has twelve columns, inscribed with the names of officials who erected the stele. The title on the top reads "Regular Script [Praise Stele for Zhang Fu Jun of Lu Commandery of Wei]" in twelve characters in reverse script. The stele records Zhang Menglong's achievements as the governor of Lu Commandery. The original stele is now housed in the Stele Exhibition Hall of the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. The calligraphy of the stele is elegant and vigorous, setting the precedent for the Tang Dynasty calligraphers Ouyang Xun and Yu Shinan. The title script is particularly bold and dynamic, truly a rare gem of Northern Wei calligraphy. During the Qing Dynasty, Bao Shichen and Kang Youwei, among others, admired this stele for its exquisite craftsmanship, beyond mere words. In fact, the Zhang Menglong Stele embodies the unique charm of the Cai Longyan Stele, the lean and hard texture of the Bi Gan Stele, the rigorous structure of Li Chao and Yang Dayan, the artistic spirit of Southern Steles, and more. Its posture is graceful and elegant, its structure precise and skillful, and its style noble and ancient.