Stone rubbing

Technique

The paper that has been used by Chinese scholars to transfer the calligraphy from stones is made from plant fiber. It can be used in two ways to retrieve the calligraphy. One way requires the paper to be dry and then adhered to the stone through a paste made with water and a starch that is made from rice or wheat. The paper is then tamped into the engravings on the stone. The other technique requires the paper to be wet and tamped into the engravings without a paste.

After doing either of these techniques, an ink, created through grinding an ink stick and adding water one drop at a time to achieve the ideal consistency, is used to retrieve the calligraphy. The ink is stippled on with a cloth filled with the ink. The ink covers the paper without sinking into the engravings. When the paper is peeled off, the calligraphy engravings come out white, while everything else is black from the ink.

More commonly, people use butcher paper to create stone rubbings. The paper is typically taped onto the stone or gravestone with masking or painter's tape, over the desired inscription. Charcoal or crayon is then rubbed across the surface, leaving the engravings untouched. When the paper is removed, the inscription should be readable because the recessed areas were not marked.

It can be helpful to clean the stone beforehand with a soft brush and water. Stiff brushes and cleaning solutions are generally avoided because they can scratch or damage the stone.

When stone rubbing, one should be careful with stones that are deteriorating, as they can collapse under pressure.

Gravestone rubbing

Gravestone rubbing also applies this technique to gravestones, often as a method of retrieving and conserving information about genealogy. For a genealogist, a gravestone rubbing may become a permanent record of death when a gravestone is rapidly deteriorating.

Gravestone rubbing can be used to teach about local history. The stone's condition, art, and inscription can tell what was going on in an area at a specific time. Studying multiple gravestones in one specific area can give even more information about history.

File:Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 10, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis 14.jpg|Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 10, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis, Neolithic File:Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 20, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis 12.jpg|Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 20, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis, Neolithic File:Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 18, Sion, Petit-Chasseur- necropolis 11.jpg|Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 18, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis, Neolithic File:Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 15, Sion, Petit-Chasseur- necropolis 10.jpg|Stone rubbing of anthropomorphic stele no 15, Sion, Petit-Chasseur necropolis, Neolithic File:Adoniham Judson Cox Died 22 Dec 1907.jpg|Gravestone rubbing of Confederate war veteran, Plaquemine, Louisiana

Notes

References

1. Pan, Rongjiang. (May–June 2019). "Digital stone rubbing from 3D models". Journal of Cultural Heritage.
2. Wells, Aimee. (August 2022). "Fairfax County Cemetery Preservation Manual: A guide for practitioners". Fairfax County Park Authority, Archaeology & Collections Branch.
3. King, Gregg G.. (2004). "Michigan Historic Cemeteries Preservation Guide". Charter Township of Canton.
4. Tamara L. Britton. (2004). "The Vietnam Veterans Memorial". Checkerboard Books.
5. Perkins, Dorothy. “stone rubbings, Chinese.” Encyclopedia of China: The Essential Reference to China, Its History and Culture. New York: Facts On File, Inc., 1998. Ancient and Medieval History Online. Facts On File, Inc. 28 Jan. 2010 <[http://www.fofweb.com/activelink2.asp?ItemID=WE49&iPin=china02225&SingleRecord=True]>.
6. “Headstone Art.” Ancestry. July/August 2008: 55. Print.<[https://books.google.com/books?id=NDgEAAAAMBAJ&dq=grave+rubbing&pg=PA55]>.
7. “Cemeteries.” Massachusetts Studies Project. 28 Jan. 2010 <[http://www.msp.umb.edu/LocHistoryTemplates/MSPCemeteries.html]>.