Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum ("Zhaoling Liujun"), Introduction Sign - Great Song stele dedicated to the newly built Tang Taizong’s temple (Da Song xinxiu Tang Taizong miaobei)

Information

Title

Six Steeds of Zhao Mausoleum ("Zhaoling Liujun"), Introduction Sign - Great Song stele dedicated to the newly built Tang Taizong’s temple (Da Song xinxiu Tang Taizong miaobei)

昭陵六骏, 大宋新修唐太宗廟碑介紹牌

Creator

Yan Lide

Work Type

reliefs

Date

636 C.E.

Period

Tang

Cultural Context

Chinese

Material

limestone

Technique

carving

Capture Date

2024-12-14

File Format

image/tiff

Descriptions and Subjects

Work Description

The Six Horses reliefs were engraved in the 10th year of Zhenguan in the Tang Dynasty (636 AD). In order to commemorate the six war horses he rode in the founding war of the emperial China, King Li Shimin of the Tang Dynasty ordered the painter Yan Liben to draw the figures of the six horses, and then the engraver Yan Lide copied and carved them on the stone. The great calligrapher Ouyang Xun of the time made the Tang The hymn book written by Taizong himself is on the upper corner of the original stone. After they were carved, they were placed in the altar at the northern foot of Zhaoling. In order, they are "Teqinqiao", "Qingzhui", "Shivachi", "Saluzi", "Quanmaojun" and "Baitiwu". Among them, two horses, "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao Jun", were dispersed overseas in 1914 and are now in the Museum of Archeology and Anthropology at the University of Pennsylvania (Penn Museum) in the United States.

Each piece of Zhaoling Six Horses is 2.5 meters high and 3 meters wide. The six horses are vividly reproduced on the stone slab in the form of high relief. Three of them are standing and three are galloping. They have handsome postures, valiant charm, vivid shapes, and expressive eyebrows. It can be said that "the king of Qin conquered the world with his cavalry, and the six horses were outstanding in painting but also worried." Mr. Lu Xun praised Six Horses as an "unprecedented" masterpiece.

刻于唐贞观十年(公元636)。唐王李世民为了纪念开国战争中曾骑过的六匹战马，令画家阎立本先画出六骏的图形，再由雕刻工艺家阎立德依形复制刻于石上，由当时的大书法家欧阳询将唐太宗亲自书写的赞美诗书在原石上角，刻成后放置在昭陵北麓的祭坛之内。依次为“特勤骠”“青骓”“什伐赤”“飒露紫”“拳毛騧”“白蹄乌”。其中“飒露紫”“拳毛騧”二骏1914年流失国外，现存美国宾夕法尼亚大学考古学与人类学博物馆。

昭陵六骏每块高2.5米，宽3米，采用高浮雕的形式将六匹骏马生动地再现在石板上。其中三匹做立状，三匹为奔驰状，姿态英俊，神韵飒爽，造型生动，眉目传神，真可谓“秦王铁骑取天下，六骏功高画亦忧”。鲁迅先生将六骏誉之为“前无古人”的杰作。

Image Description

overall view

全视图

Subjects

war horses

Rights and Identifier

Image Rights

in copyright

Image ID

SIX-ZLP-2024-40