Rubbing of a Stone from the Tang-Fang Collection

仿東漢武梁祠畫像石拓片

1900–1916

China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911) or Republican period

(1912-49)

Medium

Rubbing, ink on paper

Measurements

Overall: 78.7 x 174 cm (31 x 68 1/2 in.); Rubbing only: 64.1 x 123.2 cm (25 1/4 x 48 1/2 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Yamanaka & Company 1919.76

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Location

Not on view

Did You Know?

The process of making rubbings has been done in China since at least the 6th century.

Description

Figures, birds, and a chariot depicted in three registers correspond to a stone relief from the east wall of the front stone chamber in the Wu Liang shrine: the top register shows a procession with a horse carriage; the second has scenes of filial piety; the third presents a banquet scene.

However, missing inscribed labels to identify the scenes and a carriage replaced by two figures in the lower left corner reveal that this rubbing differs from the Wu Liang shrine version. The museum’s rubbing was either altered, taken from a different local Han dynasty shrine, or from a later stone slab that was recarved to produce rubbings for the market.