The animal that Wang Xianzhi used to practice calligraphy in a vat was the goose. Wang Xianzhi, a calligrapher of the Jin Dynasty, was the son of Wang Xizhi. He learned calligraphy from his father since he was a child. Wang Xizhi understood the principles of writing by observing the body posture of geese. Wang Xianzhi was born from 344 to 386 AD. His courtesy name was Zijing, and his nickname was an official slave. He was a native of Linyi, Linyi City, Shandong Province today. He was an official, calligrapher, painter, poet and the seventh son of Wang Xizhi, an official, calligrapher, painter, and poet of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He was also the seventh son of Wang Xizhi, a right-wing general.