“Shangyangtai Tie” is a self-composed four-character poem by the renowned Tang dynasty poet Li Bai and stands as his only extant calligraphic work, comprising 25 characters in total. (Translation: “The mountains are high and the rivers long, myriad forms abound; without an aged brush, how can clarity and strength be endless? On the eighteenth day, at Shangyang Terrace, inscribed by Taibai.”)
The poem captures the towering majesty of Wangwu Mountain and the eternal flow of its waters, while also expressing Li Bai’s admiration for Sima Chengzhen through its subtle praises. Now preserved in the Palace Museum in Beijing, this scroll exemplifies a vigorous and graceful style. Li Bai’s brushwork is both robust and free, swift yet fluid, eschewing strict conventional norms—mirroring the bold and elegant spirit of his poetry. Its dynamic composition, marked by varied strokes and playful charm, reveals endless captivating interest. Notably, this piece remains Li Bai’s sole surviving work in calligraphy, its spontaneous execution evident in both the initiation and the liberated final strokes.
The Song dynasty calligrapher Huang Tingjian once remarked on Li Bai’s calligraphic talent: “Observing his draft writings, one perceives the essence of his poetry, stirring profound and evocative feelings. Though Li Bai was not famed for his calligraphy during the Kaiyuan and Zhide periods, his regular and cursive scripts are by no means inferior to those of ancient masters.” (from “Shangu Ti Ba”)
Historically, this work has passed through several prestigious hands—it was once part of the Xuande imperial collection, later owned by Jia Sidao, then reached the Yuan dynasty through Zhang Yan, and was housed in the Tianlai Pavilion during the Ming. In the early Qing, it was acquired by An Qi before reentering the imperial collection, only to leave the palace in the late Qing. In 1958, it was finally transferred to the Palace Museum in Beijing. Its storied provenance is documented in texts such as Qing An Qi’s “Mo Yuan Hui Guan” and the imperial “Shi Qu Bao Ji: First Volume.”
