現代 徐鉉 宋摹秦嶧山碑 拓本|Inscriptions from the Stele of Mount Yi

Xu Xuan

date of stele: Song dynasty (960–1279) · Modern rubbings; ink on paper · Asian Art

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.

Artist

Xu Xuan

Date

date of stele: Song dynasty (960–1279)

Medium

Modern rubbings; ink on paper

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Seymour and Rogers Funds, 1977