Origins & Early Life

Ouyang Xun (Chinese: 歐陽詢; pinyin: Ōuyáng Xún; Wade–Giles: Ou-yang Hsün; 557–641), courtesy name Xinben (Chinese: 信本; pinyin: Xìn běn; Wade–Giles: Hsin-pên), was a Chinese calligrapher, politician, and writer of the early Tang dynasty. He was born in Changsha to a family of government officials and died in modern Anhui province. He was a talented student who read widely in the classics. He served under the Sui dynasty in 611 as Imperial Doctor.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

He served under the Tang dynasty as censor and scholar at the Hongwen Academy. There he taught calligraphy. He was a principal contributor to the Yiwen Leiju. He became the Imperial Calligrapher and inscribed several major imperial steles. He was good at regular script and his most famous work is the Stele in the Jiucheng Palace.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

He was considered a cultured scholar and a government official. Along with Yu Shinan, Xue Ji, and Chu Suiliang he became known as one of the Four Great Calligraphers of the Early Tang. He notably wrote the inscription of the Kaiyuan Tongbao cash coin which became one of the most influential coins in Chinese history, this coin also influenced the calligraphic styles of other coinages in Japan, Sogdia...

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Khadija bint Khuwaylid — Contemporary (Born in 557) (557): Pioneering figure and first wife of the Prophet Muhammad, revered in Islam.
• Heraclius — Contemporary (Died in 641) (641): Byzantine Emperor who successfully defended the Empire against the Persians and early Arab forces.
• Yu Shinan — Contemporary figure (Born in 558) (558): Prominent Chinese calligrapher and politician of the early Tang Dynasty.
• Isidore of Seville — Contemporary figure (Born in 560) (560): Pivotal Hispano-Roman scholar, theologian, and Archbishop of Seville.
• Bumin Qaghan — Contemporary figure (Died in 552) (552): Founder of the First Turkic Khaganate, a pivotal figure in early nomadic history.
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