Han Dynasty "Fat Zhi Stele"

Author: Liu Heng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-02-01
Features: The full title of "Fei Zhi Stele" is "Henan Liangdong Anle Fei Jun Stele," built in the second year of Jianning (169) during the Eastern Han Dynasty in May. The stele is 97.3 cm tall and 47.5 cm wide, inscribed in clerical script with nineteen lines, each containing twenty-nine characters, and with grid lines. It was unearthed in Nanzhuangcun, Yanshi, Henan in 1991 and is now preserved in the Shangcheng Museum of Yanshi. The Eastern Han Dynasty was a peak period for clerical script, and the surviving steles and stone carvings are all exemplary models for calligraphy study. The "Fei Zhi Stele" exhibits a simple, harmonious, and steady style, with its brushwork remaining sharp and fresh as if newly sharpened, demonstrating an elegant and natural charm. Compared to other courtly works such as the "Hua Shan Stele," "Shi Chen Stele," and "Xiping Stone Classics" from the same period, the calligraphic style of the "Fei Zhi Stele" stands out distinctly, free from any signs of carving or modification. It is truly a masterpiece of clerical script in Han Dynasty steles.