These six-horse relief stone carvings have been well preserved for more than a thousand years. Later, it was only when the country was weak and the family was poor that it was coveted by others.
The stone carvings of the Six Horsemen of Zhaoling were originally arranged symmetrically in the east and west corridors of the Xuanwu Gate at the northernmost end of the cemetery.
The overall structure is in the shape of a staircase, rising gradually from north to south, with the horse heads all facing the south altar.
Later, they were stolen and two paintings were sold abroad and are now in the Ugly Museum.
The other four are hidden in the Forest of Steles in Chang'an, but unfortunately they have been broken into pieces.
Therefore, even if the six antique works in front of you are fake, their value is very high.
After all, it is very rare to be able to imitate the charm of the Six Horses of Zhaoling.
Coupled with the above fonts and antique techniques, these six horse pictures are even more rare.
"The technology is really good. This should be an ancient imitation technique from the Song Dynasty!"
After taking a closer look, Chen Wenzhe found that these "Six Horses of Zhaoling" can be said to be excellent in every aspect.
The fine stones they selected are basically the same in outer size. Each stone carving is about 2 meters wide, 1.7 meters high and 0.4 meters thick.
This original version is very consistent, and a raised stone frame is reserved around each stone.
Within this frame, there are six horses with different postures and expressions, all in profile.
These horses are carved into high relief with a depth of 15 centimeters. Three of them are upright and three are galloping.
According to historical legend, Emperor Taizong of the Tang Dynasty also ordered the calligrapher Ouyang Xun to write the name of each war horse and the imperial eulogy on paper, and ordered craftsmen to carve it on the stone.
Although each stone carving has a chiseled place of one foot square, the writing has been severely weathered.
Well, that’s what the real thing looks like, and this imitation is really good.
However, because it was recorded, it can only be imitated now.
Otherwise, the handwriting on the genuine article has disappeared, so how can I imitate it? It can only be made up!
Chen Wenzhe knew that on the relief of the Six Horses of Zhaoling were Li Shimin's personal words of praise for the six horses.
Teller Piao: respond to the policy and soar into the air, inherit the voice of the Han Dynasty; destroy the enemy due to natural dangers, take advantage of the danger to relieve difficulties.
Qingzhao: Ashigaru movies, divine secrets, quick training, determined my military uniform.
Shifachi: The stream is not quiet yet, the ax and ax show its power, Zhu Khan is full of horses, and Qing Jing returns in triumph.
Sa Lu Zi: Zi Yan Chao Yue, Gu Teng Shenjun, Qi Shou Sanchuan, and the eight powerful formations.
Quan Mao Zhen: The moon essence presses the bridle, and the sky's steed runs wildly. When I am alone, I lose my carriage, and the atmosphere is clear.
White-tied Crow: Relying on the sky with a long sword, chasing the wind with galloping feet; raising the bridle to level the Long, returning to the saddle to settle Shu.
Among the six horses, "Teleqiao" was originally the first horse in the east, and was ridden by Li Shimin when he defeated Song Jingang.
It is said that the horse's coat is yellow with white, and the corners of its mouth are slightly black.
In the relief, Teller's left leg is raised, the right leg is on the ground, and one leg rises and falls at the same time on the opposite side.
This is a ceremonial footwork that can only be achieved through rigorous training, and this horse can be said to be well-trained.
Qingzhui is the second horse in the east and was Li Shimin's mount when he fought at Hulao Pass in Yangluo.
The green horse in the stone carving is in the shape of a galloping horse, with its mane flying and its four hooves forming a straight line. The horse was hit by five arrows, all of which were shot head-on during the charge.
But most of the shots are shot at the back of the horse, which shows how fast the horse gallops.
Shifachi is the third horse in the east, and it was also the war horse Li Shimin rode when he conquered Hulao Pass.
The posture of Shivachi on the relief is similar to that of Qingzhui, and he was also hit by five arrows.
Sa Lu Zi was originally the number one horse in the west, and was also a war horse ridden by Li Shimin in the Battle of Hulao Pass.
Because the horse's coat is purple, it was named "Sa Lu Zi".
This relief shows the scene of a war general removing the arrowhead from a horse that had an arrow in its chest.
The man leading the war horse and pulling arrows is called Qiu Xinggong.
Qiu Xinggong has a tendril, handsome and majestic appearance, wearing a war robe, a dagger on his head, and a sword and quiver on his waist.
He made a posture of bowing his head to draw arrows for his horse, recreating the scene at that time.
This carved treasure is now in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania.
Quanmaoguan is the second horse in the west. It is a yellow horse with a black mouth and swirling hair.
It was hit by 6 arrows in the front and 3 arrows in the back. It was used by Li Shimin when he defeated Liu Heita.
The stone carvings show that Quanmao was hit by 9 arrows, indicating the fierceness of the battle.
This carved treasure is now in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania.
After that comes the White-hoofed Crow, which is the third horse from the west.
The horse's coat is black all over and its hooves are all white.
The "White-hoofed Crow" carved on the stone has strong muscles and bones, with its head raised and angry eyes, its four hooves flying in the air, its mane facing the wind, and it looks like it is running at high speed.
Fortunately, out of the six stones, only two were stolen and the others remained in the country.
Otherwise, we can only go to Chou Country to see such good things.
Unfortunately, there are still two pieces hidden in Chou Country.
It was 1914, when Frenchman Gollancz peeled off the "Salu Purple" and "Fist Hair Gun" to prepare for smuggling.
Unexpectedly, he was discovered and stopped by local farmers.
However, these "two horses" fell into the hands of local warlords.
Later, it was transported to Peking and was stolen and sold abroad for US$125,000 by Lu Qinzhai, a domestic antique dealer at the time.
These two pieces were sold and are now in the Museum of the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.
In 1918, Bi Shibo, a Chinese national, planned to steal the other four horse stone carvings.
Before transportation, he ordered the four stone horses to be broken into several pieces.
However, it was discovered and intercepted by local people in Xishan during transportation, and was later transported to the Xishan Library for preservation.
In 1953, when the Western Shaanxi Provincial Museum (today's Chang'an Forest of Steles Museum) was established, it received these four stone carvings and later put them together and restored them.
In April 1961, stone carving craftsman Xie Dade copied the "Sa Lu Zi" and "Fist Mao Gun" based on photos and rubbings.
Together with the existing four horses, it is now displayed in the "Chang'an Stone Carving Art Room" of the Forest of Steles Museum.
Chen Wenzhe could tell that the six stone carvings in front of him must have been made by the master.
Because no matter how he looked at it, he felt that it was no worse than the two imitations now displayed in the Forest of Steles in Chang'an.
I just don’t know which master in China this is from.
There are not many masters like this even in China.
Of course, there is definitely more than one master of this kind of stone carving technique in China.
For example, in 2010, our domestic experts were invited to Chou Country to participate in the restoration of "Fist Mao Gun" and "Sa Lu Zi".
Finally, it meets the basic requirements for global touring exhibitions.
It cannot be said that foreign stone carving masters cannot achieve this kind of technology.
However, they cannot understand Chinese culture, Chinese stone carvings, or paintings.
This is a cultural difference, which naturally makes it impossible to restore the charm of Chinese stone carvings.
The image creation of these six horses is based on realism and realistic techniques, and the objects are objectively depicted. The degree of rigor is quite astonishing.
Most people would definitely not be able to copy it well, so Chen Wenzhe was even more surprised.
As long as you understand the Six Horses of Zhaoling, you will naturally know their historical status, and you will naturally know their artistic value, or artistic achievements.