The Shiqi Tie, which was named after the date inscribed at the beginning of the original handscroll, is a collection of copies of letters written by Wang Xizhi and is considered one of the finest examples of his cursive calligraphy. The rubbings that were made from the text are also among the oldest available of Wang's calligraphy. The original handscroll originally consisted of twenty-three items of calligraphy and was one of the finest collections of calligraphy in Tang Emperor Taizong's collection (reigned 597-649). Many copies, carvings and rubbings were made from the original handscroll, although very few early examples still exist.