Stele of the Western Peak Huashan Temple西岳华山庙碑

Type

Steles and Inscriptions

Location

China · Shaanxi · Huayin, Weinan · Originally stood at the Xiyue Temple in Huayin; the original stone is lost, and four rubbings survive today

First built

8th year of the Yanxi era, Eastern Han (165) · The original stone was destroyed in the great Guanzhong earthquake of the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming (late 1555 / early 1556); the author and calligrapher are unknown, as Han-dynasty steles are mostly unsigned

Overview

The Stele of the Western Peak Huashan Temple was carved in clerical script in the eighth year of the Yanxi era of the Eastern Han (165); it originally stood at the Xiyue Temple in Huayin, Shaanxi, and records the sacrifice offered to the Western Peak. It has been hailed as the "finest example of Han clerical script," and holds an exalted place in the history of the development of clerical script. The original stone was destroyed in the great earthquake that struck Guanzhong (Huaxian) in the thirty-fourth year of the Jiajing reign of the Ming (late 1555 to early 1556 in the Gregorian calendar; some sources give 1552, which does not match the reign-year record and should be disregarded in favor of the reign-year dating). After the stele was destroyed, it survived only through rubbings, of which four are extant: the Changyuan rubbing, the Huayin rubbing (also called the Guanzhong rubbing), the Siming rubbing, and the Shunde rubbing (also called the Xiaolinglong Shanguan rubbing). Of these, the Siming rubbing is a complete, full-sheet rubbing that preserves the whole appearance of the stele; the Huayin rubbing was made with dense ink and fine craftsmanship, probably between the Song and Yuan dynasties, though lines one to seventeen have lost over a hundred characters to damage. According to exhibition reports from the Palace Museum, the Huayin and Siming rubbings are now held by the Palace Museum; the Changyuan rubbing survives in Japan, though the specific holding institution is unclear; the Shunde rubbing is said to be the earliest surviving rubbing, but its present location is not clearly recorded. The author and calligrapher are unknown, as Han-dynasty steles are mostly unsigned. The original stele is lost and has no designation as a Major Historical and Cultural Site Protected at the National Level; the rubbings are museum-held artifacts.

Highlights

• Hailed as the finest example of Han clerical script
• The original stone was destroyed in the great Jiajing-era Guanzhong earthquake
• Four rubbings survive: the Changyuan, Huayin, Siming, and Shunde rubbings
• The Huayin and Siming rubbings are held by the Palace Museum