The Chinese art of calligraphy has received another boost. Beijing’s Palace Museum — also known as the Forbidden City — has published a 40-volume reproduction of ancient works by 135 artists.

The 340 calligraphy examples range from the third century AD to the 17th century. The museum hopes this collection will inspire future generations of calligraphers. Its efforts mirror a great commission by Emperor Qianlong who, in 1747, had artisans carve reproductions of the imperial calligraphy collection onto more than 500 stone monuments, which he kept at the palace.