| Ink rubbings have been a rich source for the preservation
of inscriptions and calligraphic pieces found on
rocks, stelae, pillars, tomb-tablets, architectural
elements, statues, as well as manuscripts and letters,
written by renowned calligraphers through the centuries.
As such, calligraphic rubbings have long since been
considered as a special branch of Chinese art and
highly regarded by the traditonal Chinese connoisseurs.
These rubbings are elegant works of calligraphy,
providing at the sametime valuable first hand research
material in literature, history and epigraphy.
The items in this exhibition have been selected
from the rich collections of the Peking University
Library and the Art Museum of the Chinese University
of Hong Kong. A total of 148 rubbings are included
in the display. The original stones date from
the Warring States to the Qing dynasties, while
the rubbings belong mainly to the Ming/Qing and
pre-dodorn periods. A couple of rare rubbings
that were made during the Song Dynasty form the
star-piece in the show. Together they represent
the most comprehensive and systematic exihibitions
of this unusual branch of Chinese art ever held
in Hong Kong.
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