[i] 劉正成 編《中國書法鑒賞大辭典》。 北京: 大地出版社，1989，p.116。
[ii] 《漢曹全碑》, 歷代法書選輯。 高雄: 大衆書局, 1973, p.51。
[iii] See a) Patricia Ebrey, “Later Han Stone Inscriptions”. Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, vol. 40, no. 2, 1980, pp. 325–353 & b) Édouard Chavannes, “Les pays d’Occident d’après le Heou Han chou”. T’oung pao, vol. 8, 1907, pp. 206-207.
[iv] 萬經云：「秀美飛動，不束縛，不馳驟，洵神品也。」 孫承澤云：「字法遒秀逸致，翩翩興《禮器碑》前後輝映, 漢石中至寶也。」 (Source : 劉正成編《中國書法鑒賞大辭典》。 北京: 大地出版社，1989，p.116。)
[v] 方朔《枕經堂金石書畫題跋》: 「正文與碑陰為一手，上接《石鼓》，旁通章草，下開魏、齊、周、隋及歐、褚諸家技法，實為千古書家一大關鍵。」(Source : 劉正成 編《中國書法鑒賞大辭典》。 北京: 大地出版社，1989，p.116。)
[vi] “諱” means “the honorable one’s given name that is forbidden from mentioning by ordinary people”. It is a custom and tradition in Chinese culture to not call one’s given name directly, except for those who are more junior than you.
[vii] “敦煌效穀人也” meant Cao Quan’s ancestral home (籍貫) was in “the county of Xiaogu (效穀縣), commandery of Dunhuang (敦煌郡)”. The sentence does not necessarily mean Cao Quan was actually born or coming from there.