Inscriptions from the Stele of Mount Yi
In 219 B.C., on the first of many inspection tours of his vast empire, the First Emperor of Qin visited Mount Yi. He ordered that a stele be erected there, and calligraphed with a text in the newly standardized script. The text praises the emperor for bringing peace to the world by defeating Qin’s six rival states and unifying them under his rule. Although the stele was destroyed by fire during the Tang dynasty (618–907), the inscription was passed down by scholars; the present rubbings were taken from a stele that dates from the tenth century A.D. While the calligraphic style is of that era, the balanced structure and relatively uniform size of the characters derive from the seal script established by the Qin, echoing the glorious tradition of this mighty but short-lived state.
Artwork Details
- 現代 徐鉉 宋摹秦嶧山碑 拓本
- Title: Inscriptions from the Stele of Mount Yi
- Calligrapher: After Xu Xuan (Chinese, 916–991)
- Date: date of stele: Song dynasty (960–1279)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Modern rubbings; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image (a): 60 × 31 1/4 in. (152.4 × 79.4 cm)
Image (b): 60 3/4 × 28 5/8 in. (154.3 × 72.7 cm) - Classification: Rubbing
- Credit Line: Seymour and Rogers Funds, 1977
- Object Number: 1977.375.7a, b
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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China
Stele: Song dynasty (960–1279), 960–68; rubbing: 20th century
Tibet
late 15th century
Wang Yuanqi
ca. 1710
Wu Bin
dated 1591
Han Gan
ca. 750
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