Much of Wang's work was in Japan because the country sent more than 10 missions to China in Tang Dynasty, and in turn brought back to Japan many cultural artifacts, including several copies of Wang Xizhi's works. The famous Chinese monk Jianzhen (688-733 AD) also sailed to Japan with copies of Wang's calligraphy. “Mei Zhi Tie” was acquired by its current owner's family in the early part of last century in Japan. However, it was not shown to the public until 1973, at an exhibition in the Gotoh Museum in Japan.

Ritual to Pray for Good Harvest

Ritual to Pray for Good Harvest. Princeton University Collection.

This is a Tang Dynasty tracing copy, now held in the Art Museum of Princeton University in the United States. Owing to the now obscure references they contain, many of Wang's letters are no longer fully intelligible. In “Ritual to Pray for Good Harvest”, Wang appears to refer to a ritual sacrifice conducted by a friend and inquires about the political intentions of this person's followers.

This tracing copy of the letter preserves only the first half of Wang Xizhi's original text, and probably dates from the early Tang Dynasty. Although this tracing copy remains one step removed from the original artifact, yet because no authentic work by Wang survives, it was highly prized by later collectors, including emperors, whose numerous inscriptions and seals surround the remaining two columns of characters with a total of fifteen characters written in cursive script.

At one point it was in the collection of the Northern Song period Huizong emperor (reigned 1101–25 AD), whose "slender-gold" script calligraphy in faint gold ink appears on a title strip to the upper right corner of the letter. Labels and numerous colophons by the Ming Dynasty calligrapher Dong Qichang (1555–1636 AD), the Qing Dynasty Qianlong emperor (reigned 1736–95 AD), and others were later added, surrounding the letter. As stated in one of Dong Qichang's colophons, because of its rarity, impeccable provenance, and value to understanding the Wang Xizhi tradition, "These two lines are worth more than thirty-thousand other scrolls."

Editor: Wen Yi