Cao Longyan Stele

Author: Editorial Board of "Selected Calligraphic Works from Ancient Inscriptions"
Publisher:
Publication Date: 1997-06-01
Features: The "Cao Longyan Stele," also known as the "Stele of Cao Shijun, General of the Dragon, Protector of the Barbarian Towns, and Governor of Ningzhou and County of Qiongdu," was carved in the second year of the Daming era of the Southern Dynasties of Liu Song (458 AD). The "Cao Longyan Stele" is in regular script. The stele's front face has twenty-four lines, with forty-five characters per line. The back face records the names of officials in three sections: the top section has fifteen lines, the middle section has seventeen lines, and the bottom section has sixteen lines. The "Cao Longyan Stele" is paired with the Jin Dynasty "Cao Baozi Stele" as the "Two Cao Steles." Because it is taller and wider than the "Jin Cao Baozi Stele," it is also referred to as the "Great Cao Stele." The "Cao Longyan Stele" is one of the few extant steles from the Southern Dynasties. Its calligraphy exhibits strong influences of clerical script, with a powerful and imposing style. The structure is varied, and the layout is deliberately uneven, earning it praise from later generations for its calligraphic beauty. Some scholars believe its brushwork resembles that of the Northern Wei Dynasty's "Zhang Menglong Stele." It is an important work for studying the calligraphic styles of the Northern and Southern Dynasties. During the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty, Ruan Yuan discovered this stele in Luliang, Yunnan, and it quickly gained widespread attention from the calligraphy community. In his "Commentary on Steles," Yang Shoujing wrote: "Regular script, apart from a few characters in the 'Ge Zi Stele,' is none as ancient as this. It completely avoids clerical script influences, displaying extreme variation. Although it also incorporates the sharp-edged brushwork of the 'Zhang Menglong Stele,' it remains warm, mellow, and elegant." This book is published in a photolithographic edition based on an excellent early copy, providing a valuable reference and learning resource for calligraphy enthusiasts.