Antiquarian Selections of Stone Inscriptions and Calligraphy--Wei Yuanning Fan Kexi Sculptures

Author: Xiao Cang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: Wei Fan Cui sculpture, regular script, twelve lines per column, twelve characters per line. Carved in the third year of the Zhengguang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty. The calligraphy and structure are dense and well-organized, resembling the style of the slightly later "Ma Ming Temple Gen Monk Stele." Fan Keci was also known by another name, which appears in the epigraph on the back of the Northern Wei "Zhang Jiao Menglong Stele." Previous scholarly works have debated whether it is a forgery, while others argue that the calligraphy of this sculpture epitomizes the Northern Wei aesthetic, confirming it as a product of the Northern Wei period.
Wei Yuanning sculpture, regular script, sixteen lines per column, seven characters per line. Carved in the second year of the Xiaochang era of the Northern Wei Dynasty (526). Originally located in Erxian Cave, Xingyang, Henan. The calligraphy features round and forceful brushwork, a vertical structure, balanced proportions, and already demonstrates the early mastery of regular script, anticipating the style of the early Tang Dynasty.