Collection of couplets on Shi Chen Stele

Author: Xu Qinghua (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-01
Features: Beginners in calligraphy must start by copying ancient steles and tablets, striving for strokes, structures, and styles to resemble the originals. Once copying is mastered, they often wish to create their own works, but this creative passion usually ends in failure. The transition from copying to creation is not easy to cross; some may never make it or fail to do so properly, leading them astray. Selecting characters from the copied steles to form works is an excellent method. However, the text in the works may not all be found in the copied steles. Even if found, piecing them together may not achieve harmony in size, weight, inclination, or mutual correspondence. For this reason, we decided to invite experienced calligraphers to edit and publish a series of couplets and poetic compositions composed of characters selected from famous steles and tablets throughout history. With the help of computer image processing technology, we strive to present the most perfect results to our readers.
Shichen Stele (also known as Shichen Front and Rear Steles) is the full name of Lu Xiang Shi Li Si Xiang Kongzi Miao Stele. It consists of two stones, hence the alternate name. The stele was erected in the second year of the Jianning era (169 AD) during the Eastern Han Dynasty and is now located in the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong. The stele is meticulously crafted, with a strict and imposing structure. It exudes a profound and ancient charm, with well-balanced strokes and a harmonious composition, making it a model for temple halls. Yang Shoujing once remarked on this stele: "Some may argue that not all Han Dynasty clerical script is excellent, but one cannot match its profound and ancient aura. This is one such example."
The editor devoted several months to carefully selecting and comparing characters for each couplet, ensuring both faithfulness to the original and the use of strokes directly from the stele, with no substitutions. At the same time, they avoided rigid adherence, appropriately employing computer technology to achieve coordination. In the end, this collection was completed.