Elegy tablets are inscribed epitaphs recording the life stories and achievements of Liao Dynasty Emperors and Queens. The extant elegy tablets of Liao Dynasty emperors and queens were excavated from Qing Mausoleum of Liao Dynasty, one of the five Liao Dynasty emperors’ mausoleums. There are 15 lids and tablets in total. These national treasures are all conserved at Liaoning Provincial Museum.
Carved out of white marble, the elegy tablets of Liao Dynasty emperors and queens from Qing Mausoleum are square, large, and heavy. The lid is 130cm in length, 30cm in thickness, 1,500kg in weight per tablet.
The lid is exquisitely carved with four gods, human figures, dragons and peonies. Both Chinese and Khitan characters are inscribed. Neat, vigorous, and graceful, these inscriptions stand out from Liao Dynasty calligraphy.
The content on these elegy tablets is first-hand material for studying Liao Dynasty history, such as Chanyuan Treaty that kept peace between Liao and Song for over 100 years, the unjust case of shixiangci that rocked the Liao Dynasty to its foundations, and so forth.
The Khitan characters on these elegy tablets are the earliest Khitan small script found in China. These precious characters prove the existence of Khitan script.
Khitan script, including Khitan large script and Khitan small script, was created after the foundation of Khitan Empire. Khitan large script, predating Khitan small script, was complex in strokes and deficient in expression, whereas Khitan small script was expressive, relatively communicative and disseminative.
After Jin annihilated Liao, Khitan script remained in use until new Jurchen script was created and replaced Khitan script, both large and small.
The creation of Khitan script pioneered the creation of written script by ethnic minority groups in ancient Northeast China. It influenced, directly or indirectly, the birth of Jurchen script, Mongolian script, and Manchu script.
Though no one can decipher Khitan script nowadays, it witnessed the development and integration of the Liao Dynasty over centuries.