Cao Quan Stele

Name: Cao Quan Stele
ISBN: 9787102074139

人民美术出版社People's Fine Arts Publishing House · ChinaApr 2026

4.6

Word count: 108 words
Chapters: 7
ISBN: 9787102074139

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Summary

The Stele of Cao Quan, full title The Han Stele of Cao Quan, Magistrate of Heyang, was erected in the second year of Zhongping of the Eastern Han (185 CE), in the tenth month. It was unearthed during the Wanli era of the Ming dynasty in the eastern outskirts of Heyang County, Shaanxi (present-day Heyang, Shaanxi), at Xinli Village; in 1956 it was moved to the Beilin Museum in Xi'an, Shaanxi. When unearthed the stele body was intact with very little damage; later, owing to an earthquake, the stele body cracked.

The Stele of Cao Quan is two hundred fifty-three centimeters high and one hundred twenty-three centimeters wide. The stele cap was in seal script and is now lost; the stele text is in clerical script. The obverse main text has nineteen lines, forty-five characters to a full line; it is a text in which subordinate officials pooled funds to carve the stone, recounting Cao Quan's life and deeds and singing his praises, with the date of the stele's making carved at the lower left after three lines. The reverse has five columns, of which fifty-seven persons' official posts, names, and donated amounts now survive.

The stele's subject, Cao Quan, courtesy name Jingwan, was a native of Xiaogu, Dunhuang. His ancestors were descendants of the Zhou; within five generations all were worthy and eminent. As a child Cao Quan was quick and studious, virtuous and filial; in office he was clean and capable, his authority commanding respect on all sides. In the second year of Jianning he was recommended as Filial and Incorrupt, appointed Gentleman of the Interior, and made Colonel of the Western Garrison of the Western Regions, and campaigned against King Hede of Shule. At that time, suffering the premature death of his younger brother, he resigned and returned home, and then encountering the prohibition, he lived in seclusion at home for seven years.

In the sixth year of Guanghe he was again recommended as Filial and Incorrupt; in the seventh year of Guanghe he was appointed Gentleman of the Interior and made Chief of Lufu in Jiuquan, then transferred to Magistrate of Heyang, where he suppressed the Guo family uprising and took measures to ease class contradictions, using his own money to relieve the vulnerable. He listened broadly to public opinion and governed openly and clearly, and officials and people alike were grateful for his kindness. In addition, the stele text reflects from the side the peasant uprisings of the late Eastern Han, and has important historical value.

Editor's review

The Stele of Cao Quan represents the elegant, refined strain of Han clerical script. Its text is relatively well preserved with clear character outlines, and it has long been regarded as a common model for beginning clerical script. The stele was erected in the second year of Zhongping of the Eastern Han, unearthed during the Wanli era in Heyang, Shaanxi, and later moved to the Beilin in Xi'an. The obverse main text has nineteen lines; the reverse preserves the names and donated amounts of fifty-seven persons, information very helpful for understanding the form and purpose of stele carving. In copying, the stele's horizontal strokes are extended and its wave-and-tail strokes distinct, with character construction tending flat and the center of gravity steady—suitable for establishing the basic feel of clerical script's "silkworm head and swallow tail." The text recounts Cao Quan's life and achievements and touches on the social conditions of the late Eastern Han, offering a little historical background while reading the model. For learners moving from regular to clerical script, this is a relatively accessible transitional material; for those with a clerical foundation, it can be used to polish the roundness of lines and the evenness of structure.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Learners moving from regular script to clerical script who need to establish a basic feel for brushwork
Calligraphy beginners seeking a Han clerical model with clear character outlines and good preservation
Primary and secondary school calligraphy teachers needing teaching material with regular clerical structure
Clerical script enthusiasts who wish to read the complete rubbings of both obverse and reverse

Not a good fit for

Advanced learners pursuing the powerful, archaic strain of clerical script
Readers seeking copybooks for running-cursive or regular script
Those interested only in the historical content of the stele text who do not intend to copy it

Reading tips

First view the whole obverse to become familiar with the overall layout and the spacing of characters and lines, then copy line by line.
Focus on practicing the entry and closing of horizontal strokes to experience the changes of force in the wave-and-tail.
When copying, note that character construction tends flat and the center of gravity steady; avoid writing clerical script too thin and elongated.
The reverse inscriptions can serve as material for practicing small characters, copied alternately with the obverse main text.

About the publisher

People's Fine Arts Publishing House China · Founded in 1951

People's Fine Arts Publishing House focuses on professional art publishing, educational publishing, and lianhuanhua (Chinese picture-story books). Its 429 titles in the catalog span art theory, literary appreciation, and calligraphy rubbings. Representative publications include the Renmei Shupu series, which presents historical rubbings such as the Eastern Han clerical-script steles Li Qi Bei, Cao Quan Bei, and Yi Ying Bei, along with Northern Song Mi Fu's Shu Su Tie and Tiaoxi Shi Tie and Tang Lu Jianzhi's Wen Fu. Qi Baishi's Art of Painting (4 volumes) and Chen Chuanxi's History of Chinese Landscape Painting (2 volumes) reflect its strength in painting research and art-historical compilation. Alongside Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, its authors include scholars and artists such as Hua Rende, Sun Xiaoyun, Lou Shibai, and Lou Shude, giving the press a publishing profile that balances calligraphy rubbings, painting art, and art history and theory.

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FAQ

Can absolute beginners start learning calligraphy directly from the Stele of Cao Quan?

Yes, but it is advisable first to have some training in regular script or basic strokes. The Stele of Cao Quan has clear character outlines and even structure and is a common model for beginning clerical script; however, clerical script's wave-and-tail strokes differ considerably from regular-script brushwork, so beginners are best guided by a teacher to first master the basic movements of entry and closing strokes.

How do the obverse and reverse differ in content, and should I practice both when copying?

The obverse is the nineteen-line main text recounting Cao Quan's life and deeds, with larger characters and complete layout; it is the main subject of copying. The reverse is five columns of inscriptions recording the donors' official posts, names, and amounts, with smaller characters. Beginners may first focus on the obverse, and after gaining some foundation use the reverse to practice small characters and compact layout.

It is easy to write the Stele of Cao Quan too softly—how can I avoid that?

A common cause is moving the brush too fast and incomplete entry and closing movements. It is suggested to slow down: the entry of horizontal strokes should conceal the tip solidly, the closing should release the tip with control, and the middle of the line should maintain strength rather than sliding past. First practice horizontal strokes and wave-and-tail strokes individually, then proceed to whole characters.

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About the author

人民美术出版社 Author

People's Fine Arts Publishing House is a professional institution in the field of fine arts publishing in China, long engaged in editing and publishing art books. Its editorial and publishing directions cover calligraphy steles and rubbings, painting techniques, art theory, and art appreciation. The library contains 45 of its works, commonly classified under art. Representative works include calligraphy steles such as the Renmei Shupu: Lishu: Eastern Han Zhang Qian Stele, Renmei Shupu: Lishu: Eastern Han Shi Chen Stele, and the Cao Quan Stele, as well as copybook models from the series Representative Chinese Stele and Rubbing Copybook Models, including Yan Zhenqing's Draft of a Requiem to My Nephew, Huaisu's Autobiography, Wang Xizhi's Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering (Five Versions), Ouyang Xun's Inscription on the Liquan at Jiucheng Palace, and Sun Guoting's Treatise on Calligraphy. These works mainly consist of collated reprints of classic steles and rubbings and copying demonstrations, emphasizing the selection of editions and the presentation of writing details. They provide accessible models for calligraphy learners and have had a relatively broad influence in calligraphy popularization and teaching. Because public information is limited, details such as its founding date and organizational history are not introduced here.