The E Qun Tie is traditionally attributed to Wang Xianzhi. The original work has not survived, and the versions known today are Tang and Song dynasty copies. Some accounts identify it as a copy by Mi Fu, while others suggest it was a later Southern Dynasties fabrication inspired by the story of Wang Xizhi writing the Dao De Jing in exchange for geese. Studies also regard the Chunhua Ge Tie version of E Qun Tie as a forgery. Its calligraphy is described as forceful and unrestrained, lacking the refined spirit usually associated with Jin dynasty writing. Even so, because E Qun Tie is so beautifully written, questions of authenticity have not stopped it from being passed down through the generations.