In the early days, there was no lettering on the memorial tablet, but a large rectangular stone was erected in front of the palace to observe the shadow of the sun or to tie sacrificial animals in temples.
During the Warring States period, the tombs used to bury nobles were deep, and the coffins needed to be put down slowly with pulley ropes, so "big stones" were used as the support of pulleys. After the funeral, the gallows are often left in the cemetery. Over time, in order to commemorate the deceased, people carved the life of the deceased on this ready-made stone, so as to trace the lineage and sing praises to future generations.
Before paper was invented and ink was widely used, engraving on stones became one of the ways for princes and nobles to record historical facts and commend their achievements. As a result, the commemorative function of the stone tablet gradually replaced the practical function. In the early years of the Tang Dynasty, ten "big stones" were unearthed in Sanchayuan, the hometown of Qin State (now Fengxiang, Shaanxi Province). Each stone is engraved with a four-character poem, which describes the scenes of Qin's travel and hunting.
These stone drums engraved with poems are called "Hunting" (referring to the dome stone tablet), and these words engraved on the drum-shaped stones are called "Shi Guwen", which is also the earliest stone carving discovered in China so far and is known as the "ancestor of stone carving".
A typical stone tablet is rectangular and several meters high, with a round hole in the middle or at the top for threading ropes. The exquisite stone tablet has a pedestal carved with dragons and unicorns. The front of the stone tablet is engraved with inscriptions. The upper part of the stone tablet is engraved with seal script inscriptions, also known as "tablet forehead". The back and side of the monument are engraved with characters, which are called "monument yin" and "monument side" respectively. Inscriptions are usually engraved on stones, that is, the writer writes words on polished inscriptions with Zhu Mo, and then engraves them. People often use "golden stone spirit" and "golden stone taste" to summarize the calligraphy characteristics of inscriptions.
This is because the engraver is often different from the original book "Burden" because of the convenience of knife work, and the stroke style of the characters also changes slightly. Of course, some inscriptions directly "play with knives" without even a book Dan. In this carving process, more or less because of the characteristics of tools and materials, the skills and interests of sculptors are integrated. This comprehensive artistic presentation makes the inscriptions have an artistic feature different from silk books-the taste of gold stone. This interest in epigraphy is actually the result of the joint creation of calligraphers and sculptors.
Abstract: Gu Zhuo's inscription is magnificent and highly praised by calligraphy lovers in past dynasties. From smooth stone tablets to vast cliff carvings, calligraphy is based on stone carvings and lasts forever. The "Four Steles Forest", located in Xi, Shaanxi, Qufu, Sichuan, Xichang and Kaohsiung, Taiwan Province, shows the stone carving art of past dynasties.