Christian Stele of the Jesuits of Xian. Work by Zhao Guowe, ying Andong, from a stele of 1644. Entitled (top, right) 'A Brief Explanation of God's Right Way (Tianzhu, Lord of Heaven)'.
At the top, within a square frame, is a cross with the title INRI. Immediately below begins the inscription in praise of the Christian religion, divided into three parts. The first two contain twenty lines of normal style characters (kaishu), the third contains eighteen, plus the author's signatures, in the lishu style.
In the center, in the Latin alphabet, is written: P.P.(atres) Europae Societatis Iesu. Sculp(serunt) anno Domini MDCXXXXIV (1644).
Technique: black ink on paper.
In the museum since 1930. From Bei Tang, Xian.
