Epitaph for You Shixiong

Art Historical Context

Welcome to the Asian Art galleries at the Metropolitan Museum of Art where we encounter *Epitaph for Youixiong*, a striking 20th-century ink on paper measuring over 43 inches square. Created by an unknown artist, this monumental work captures the incised text of a Chinese tombstone inscription honoring You Shixiong, preserving a personal memorial through the ancient art of rubbing. Rubbings like this one are made by pressing dampened paper onto engraved stone surfaces—often steles or grave markers—and brushing ink over them to reveal the raised characters and intricate reliefs beneath. In Chinese culture, epitaphs (muzhiming) held profound significance, serving as biographical records of the deceased's life, virtues, family lineage, and achievements. Collected by scholars for centuries, these rubbings were essential tools for epigraphy, historiography, and calligraphy study, bridging past and present. Acquired through the Seymour and Rogers Funds in 1977, this piece exemplifies how 20th-century artisans revived the tradition amid modern challenges like stone erosion. It invites us to ponder the enduring reverence for ancestry and the artistry in silent commemoration.