Topic summary
Stone tablet
Extracted from the Wikipedia article Stele.
China
Steles (Chinese: bēi碑) have been a major medium of stone inscription in China, the earliest examples dating from the Qin dynasty. Chinese steles are generally rectangular stone tablets upon which Chinese characters are carved intaglio with a funerary, commemorative, or edifying text. They can commemorate talented writers and officials, inscribe poems, portraits, or maps, and frequently contain the calligraphy of famous historical figures. In addition to their commemorative value, many Chinese steles are regarded as exemplars of traditional Chinese calligraphic scripts, especially the clerical script.