In the joint burial tomb of Yuan Daqian and his wife Luo Wanshun, an epitaph belonging to the mistress of the tomb revealed to be the actual calligraphy of Yan Zhenqing 颜真卿. The calligraphy is found on the epitaph of Luo Wanshun who died in 746. By now, only 3 authentic Yan Zhenqing’s early calligraphy works have been found and this epigraph is one of them.
Epitaph and Tomb Cover of Luo Wanshun (Tang)
Stone | 6th year of Tianbao era (747), Tang dynasty | Unearthed in Weicheng Street, Weicheng District, Xianyang City (2020) | Collection of Shaanxi Archaeological Museum. 石雕｜唐天宝六年（747）｜2020年咸阳市渭城区渭城街道出土｜陕西考古博物馆藏
The epitaph was written by Yan Zhenqing, who was 39 years old at the time and serving as the magistrate of Chang’an County (modern day Xi’an). This epitaph is an authentic work of Yan Zhenqing’s early calligraphy, characterised by its slender, vigorous, and elegant characters. At this time, his calligraphic style had not yet fully developed, and the discovery of this epitaph is of great significance for the study of Yan Zhenqing’s calligraphy.1
Yan Zhenqing (709-784) is one of the most famous calligraphers in Chinese history. His “Yan style” is the textbook-style that most calligraphy beginners imitate today. The “Yan style”, which brought Chinese calligraphy to a new realm, emphasizes on strength, boldness and grandness. Like most of the master calligraphers, Yan Zhenqing learned his skill from various calligraphers.
Yan Zhenqing’s early stage lasted until his 50s. During these years, Yan Zhenqing tried out different techniques and started to develop his personal genre. When he was young, he studied calligraphy under the famous calligraphers Zhang Xu and Chu Suiliang. Zhang Xu was particularly skilled in the Cursive Script, which emphasises the overall composition and flow; Chu Suiliang, on the other hand, was renowned for his graceful and refined Regular Script. Yan Zhenqing also drew inspiration from Wei Bei (魏碑) Style, which originated from Northern nomad minorities and focused on strength and simplicity.2
The tomb is a single-chamber tomb with a long sloping passage and five courtyards. More than 100 cultural relics, including pottery figurines, were unearthed. The tomb owner, Yuan Daqian, was a Tang Dynasty official and a seventh-generation descendant of the Prince of Changshan of the Northern Wei Dynasty. He served successively as the Registrar of Yaozhou Prefecture, the Military Advisor of Longzhou Granary, the Chief Secretary of the Right Valiant Guard, and finally, the Magistrate of Longmen County, Jiangzhou. He died in the sixth year of the Kaiyuan era (718). The mistress of the tomb is Luo Wanshun, courtesy name Zhengyan, and her original surname was Chiluo. She was of Xianbei origin and died in 746. The tomb was completed in 747. 3
All photos taken at Shaanxi Archaeological Museum Mar 2024, unless otherwise noted.
About Chinese Treasure Series
中華國寶系列 Chinese Treasure series feature specific artefacts and relics from museums all around the world that are historically significant to be considered a National Treasure. The series covers the 5,000 years of Chinese civilisation from Neolithic periods before the Xia dynasty (c. 2070-1600 BC) to modern day.
Footnotes :
- Museum information card
墓葬形制力长斜坡墓道5天井单室士洞墓，出土陶俑等各类文物100余件。罗婉顺墓志书丹者为颜真卿，书写时39岁，任长安县尉。该墓志为颜真卿早年书迹真品，字体瘦硬秀逸。此时其书法风格尚未形成，该墓志的发现对研究颜真卿的书法具有重要意义。
↩︎ - China Online Museum, accessed 5 Jun 2026. https://www.comuseum.com/calligraphy/masters/yan-zhenqing/
↩︎ - Museum information card
唐元大谦罗婉顺夫妇墓
元大谦
唐代官员，北魏常山王第七代孙，历任姚州都督府录事参军、陇州司仓参军，右骁卫长史、绛州龙门县令。开元六年（718）卒。
罗婉顺, 字正言，本姓叱罗，鲜卑人，唐绛州龙门县令元大谦之妻。
墓葬年代：唐天宝六年（747）
发掘时间：2020年
发掘地点：咸阳市渭城区渭城街道
发掘单位：陕西省考古研究院
↩︎
0 comments on “Treasures – Epitaph and Tomb Cover of Luo Wanshun (Tang Dynasty)”