A Complete Guide to Yuantuo, Jiutuo, and Xintuo

──How the Time a Rubbing Is Taken Changes Everything

Introduction

When you begin studying stone rubbings, you inevitably encounter three terms:

• Yuantuo (Original Rubbing)
• Jiutuo (Old Rubbing)
• Xintuo (New Rubbing)

At first glance, these may appear to indicate nothing more than whether a rubbing is old or new.
However, in the world of rubbings, when a rubbing was taken is not a simple matter of age.

It directly affects:

• The shape of the characters
• The strength and clarity of the lines
• The amount of information preserved
• The overall quality of appreciation

In short, timing is a decisive factor that determines the very nature of a rubbing.

This article offers a systematic explanation of the differences between Yuantuo, Jiutuo, and Xintuo, and why those differences matter so deeply.

Rubbings as the Act of Recording “Time Carved in Stone”

To begin, what exactly is a rubbing?

A rubbing is a technique used to transfer characters or images carved into stone—such as steles, engraved tablets, or cliff inscriptions—onto paper using ink.

Although stone inscriptions may appear immutable, they are constantly affected by time:

• Weathering and erosion
• Physical wear
• Re-carving and repairs
• Human intervention and restoration

All of these factors gradually change the appearance of carved characters.

A rubbing captures the state of the inscription at a specific moment in time.
For this reason, the date and condition under which a rubbing was taken fundamentally shape its value and meaning.

What Is a Yuantuo?──The Inscription at Its Birth

Definition of Yuantuo

A Yuantuo refers to a rubbing taken immediately after an inscription was carved, or at a very early stage thereafter.

At this point, the stone surface has suffered little to no wear:

• The carved lines are sharp
• Fine details remain intact
• The nuances of the chisel marks are clearly visible

In essence, the carving is transferred to paper in its most pristine state.

The Value of Yuantuo

The greatest value of a Yuantuo lies in its accuracy.

It serves as the primary reference for:

• Character-form research
• Stylistic analysis
• Attribution and authorship studies

For scholars, a Yuantuo functions as the point of origin—the benchmark against which all later rubbings are compared.

However, such rubbings are extremely rare. Historically, they were often taken only in limited settings such as imperial courts, government offices, or major temples.

What Is a Jiutuo?──The Ideal Balance of Time and Clarity

Definition of Jiutuo

A Jiutuo is a rubbing taken after some time has passed since the inscription was carved, but before erosion and damage became severe.

Compared to a Yuantuo:

• The lines may be slightly softer
• The forms are more settled
• The overall structure remains clear and complete

Why Jiutuo Are So Highly Valued

In calligraphic appreciation, sharper lines are not always superior.

Jiutuo often possess:

• Lines that have stabilized with time
• Forms refined by natural aging
• A visual balance that is easy to read and deeply expressive

For this reason, Jiutuo are frequently regarded as the most practical and highly valued type of rubbing for:

• Appreciation
• Copying practice
• Model-book (fatie) compilation

They represent a harmonious balance between historical authenticity and aesthetic maturity.

What Is a Xintuo?──Lost Information and Modern Significance

Definition of Xintuo

A Xintuo refers to rubbings taken in modern or contemporary times.

After centuries of exposure and human interference, many inscriptions show:

• Heavily worn lines
• Missing or damaged details
• Characters that have collapsed or blurred

Are Xintuo Inferior in Value?

Rather than being inferior, Xintuo serve a different purpose.

They are essential as:

• Records of the stone’s current condition
• Foundational materials for preservation and restoration research
• Comparative references alongside Yuantuo and Jiutuo

For general learners, Xintuo also offer practical advantages: they are more accessible, affordable, and easier to handle.

Comparing the Three Types

The key point is not superiority or inferiority, but difference in function.

Why Rubbings Become Different Works Over Time？

By now, it should be clear that the distinctions among Yuantuo, Jiutuo, and Xintuo are not merely matters of quality.

Even though they are taken:

• From the same stone
• Of the same characters
• Using the same technique

They are treated as entirely different works.

This is because rubbings are not simple reproductions—they are acts of re-creation that include time itself.

Each sheet of paper carries with it:

• The era in which it was taken
• The person who made it
• The techniques of that period

The History of Calligraphy Is Also a History of Choosing Rubbings

Throughout history, calligraphers and scholars have continually decided:

• Which rubbing to regard as authoritative
• Which rubbing to learn from

In this sense, the history of calligraphy is a history of choices—decisions about which lines are considered “correct” and which moment in time is deemed ideal.

Understanding the differences among Yuantuo, Jiutuo, and Xintuo is therefore inseparable from understanding calligraphic values themselves.

Conclusion──Rubbings as a Collaboration Between Stone and Time

When comparing rubbings, one notices that the same characters take on different expressions across different eras. This is tangible proof that writing lives through time.

To understand the distinctions among Yuantuo, Jiutuo, and Xintuo is not merely to acquire technical knowledge, but to grasp:

• How calligraphy was transmitted
• How it changed
• How it has survived to the present

Yuantuo represent beginnings.
Jiutuo embody accumulated time.
Xintuo connect us to the present.

What we encounter through rubbings is not just written form, but the very time that those characters have lived through.