On May 9, visitors paused in small groups before ancient plaques in the exhibition hall of “Emblems of Virtue: Exhibition of Plaque Artifacts”.

The recently opened exhibition, “Emblems of Virtue: Exhibition of Plaque Artifacts”, is jointly presented by Liaoning Provincial Museum and Shenzhen Museum. It features a carefully curated selection of 76 exquisite plaques from the Ming and Qing dynasties, offering audiences in Shenyang and across Liaoning a cultural feast that bridges northern and southern China.

Plaques have a long and rich history. Originating from lintel inscriptions in the pre-Qin period, plaques evolved through the Han, Wei, Sui, and Tang dynasties before reaching their height in the Ming and Qing dynasties. As a distinctive architectural and cultural form that combines intellectual depth with artistic expression, plaques bear profound historical and cultural significance and are closely intertwined with the cultural life, ritual practices, and customs of scholars, officials, and ordinary people alike.

Inside the exhibition hall, the 76 plaques are displayed in quiet dignity, each inscribed character carrying a profound weight of meaning. The calligraphy on plaques encompasses four major script styles: regular script (kai), cursive script (cao), clerical script (li), and seal script (zhuan), with semi-cursive regular script (xingkai) being particularly prevalent. Many were inscribed by prominent officials, dignitaries, and distinguished literati of past dynasties. Concise yet profound, the inscriptions express personal sentiments, convey ethical teachings, offer commendation, and mark celebration. Their refined and enduring language gives eloquent expression to the ancients’ pursuit of life values and social ideals.

The exhibition not only allows visitors to appreciate the distinctive artistic charm of Ming and Qing plaques, but also vividly reveals the moral essence of traditional Chinese culture through the stories of family tradition embodied in these plaques. The exhibition is now open to the public, and local residents and visitors are warmly invited to experience the echoes of history across the centuries amid the fragrance of ink and the grain of wood.