Song Dynasty rubbing of the Tianfa Shenche Stele

Author: Editorial Board of Selected Calligraphic Works from Ancient Stele and Stone Inscriptions
Publisher:
Publishing Date: August 1, 1986
Features: "The Heavenly Auspicious God's Text Stele" was built in the first year of the Zutan era (AD 276), also known as "The Zutan Record of Meritorious Deeds Stele." Before the Song Dynasty, it was already broken into three pieces, hence the name "The Three-Broken Stele." It was originally located in the Jingjing Pavilion in Jiangsu, but was destroyed by fire in the tenth year of the Jiaqing era of the Qing Dynasty (1805). The original stele has long been fragmented into three sections. The earliest extant version is the Song Dynasty edition, followed by the Ming Dynasty edition, and the latest is the Qing Dynasty edition before the fire. There are also several re-carved versions after the fire. This edition is a rare, single Song Dynasty edition preserved in the Palace Museum. The traces of the Song Dynasty are clear, with mellow and ancient ink color, making it extremely valuable. The original edition had three characters per line, but to maintain the original size of the characters, it has been re-mounted to two characters per line.
"The Heavenly Auspicious God's Text Stele" is said to have been written by Huaji and inscribed by Huang Xiang, though it is also believed to have been inscribed by Su Jian, as the stele's text is now fragmented, making it impossible to verify. The calligraphy of this stele is majestic, vigorous, and sharp, with square beginnings and pointed endings. The structure is tight at the top and loose at the bottom, with elongated characters that retain the influence of seal script. It is an important resource for studying stone inscriptions from the Eastern Wu period. To help calligraphy enthusiasts better understand and master the style and features of this stele, a copy by Wu Rangzhi of the Qing Dynasty, inscribed after "The Heavenly Auspicious God's Text Stele," is appended and published alongside the original for reference and practice.