Shichen Front and Rear Steles Chinese Inscribed Famous Steles

Author: Huashan Literature Publishing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2001-01-01
Features: The "Shichen Stele" consists of two steles carved on a single stone. The front side features "In Memory of Confucius by Shichen, the Ruler of Lu," commonly known as the "Front Shichen Stele," which was established in the second year of the Jianning era (169 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is written in clerical script with 17 lines, each containing 36 to 40 characters. The back side features "Feast for Confucius by Shichen, the Ruler of Lu," commonly known as the "Back Shichen Stele," which was established in the first year of the Jianning era (168 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty. It is written in clerical script with 14 lines, each containing 36 characters. The calligraphy styles of both steles are consistent, suggesting they were written by the same person. The steles are currently preserved in the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. The "Shichen Stele" is one of the representative works of clerical script during the mature period of its development in the late Eastern Han Dynasty. It exhibits standardized and elegant structure, round and steady brushwork that maintains strength, and holds an important position in the history of Chinese calligraphy. In the "Gengzi Xiaxia Ji" by Sun Chengze of the Qing Dynasty, it is praised as: [The characters are elegant and refined, serving as a model for generations, and among the best of Han Dynasty steles.] In the "Zhenjing Tang Jinshi Shuhua Tiba" by Fang Shuo of the Qing Dynasty, it is described as: [The calligraphy is solemn, grand, and profound, with well-structured and balanced composition. Truly a masterpiece suitable for imperial halls, it stands as the epitome of clerical script.]