This morning, Chinese writer Mao Danqing posted on his blog that Japan claims to have found a duplicate of Wang Xizhi’s writing from the Tang Dynasty.

(Picture courtesy of Sina blog)

The original text below (translated):

This morning, NHK covered a story reporting that a replica of Wang Xizhi’s writing from the Tang dynasty was discovered in Japan. Because the authentic items have long been lost to this world, they have been subjects of worldwide interest. According to the experts’ analyses, this replica was brought back by the Qian Ting Shi, an ancient Japanese academic organization created to study Chinese art and culture. The replica was then stored amongst the common folk, kept in pristine condition. It would be much appreciated if anyone who knows the outcome of this report could provide details.

It is known that a few genuine Wang Xizhi works were still around early in the Northern Song dynasty. But now, his original works are all but extinct. Wang Xizhi’s works have been handed down in two forms of replicas: tracings and rubbings, the former being a better medium for preservation of authenticity, as it is traced directly from the real work. Among these, replicas produced during the Tang dynasty share the closest resemblance to Wang Xizhi’s own writings, and therefore have been historically treated as if they were originals. Currently, there are a total of 9 tracings and 15 rubbings from the Tang dynasty, most of which are kept in larger museums.

The discovery of this replica has attracted international attention on the internet, many expressing their desire to know more on the subject.