Suilong Pagoda Stele

Author: Editorial Group of Selected Calligraphies from Historical Stele Collections
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1984-05-01
Features: The Longzang Temple Stele was erected in the sixth year of the Kaihuang era (586 AD) by Wang Xiao (Li Ling), the governor of Hezhong Prefecture, to promote the construction of Longzang Temple. The original stele is now located within Longxing Temple in Zhengding, Hebei. The stele does not bear the name of the calligrapher who inscribed it. The script is square and elegant, with bold and vigorous strokes. Compared to the Meng Stele and the Yanta Holy Teaching Order from the early Tang Dynasty, the Longzang Temple Stele shares similarities in both script structure and brushwork. Therefore, it holds a pivotal position in the development of calligraphic art from the Northern and Southern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty, serving as a bridge between past and future styles.
Most of the extant rubbings of the Longzang Temple Stele date back to the Qianlong era of the Qing Dynasty. When compared to the present-day photocopied rubbings and the "Zhang Gong Li" three-character rubbing, which were once part of the collection of Duandang, the preserved rubbings retain more complete characters and exhibit clearer paper and ink. To maintain the original appearance of the characters, the original rubbings were originally eight characters per line, but after being cut and mounted, they are now presented as seven characters per line for the reference and practice of calligraphy enthusiasts.