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Red Taihu Scholar's Stone browse these categories for related items... All Items: Archives:Regional Art:Asian:Chinese: Pre 1910: item # 293944 Please refer to our stock # 60-12 when inquiring.
Silk Road Gallery PO Box 2175 Branford, Connecticut 06405, USA (203) 208-0771 Guest Book SOLD |
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| A Lake Taihu scholar's rock in a reddish hue is balanced here on a wood base that adds tension and intrigue. This piece is beautiful when viewed from any angle, the hallmark of a fine stone. Rocks from Lake Taihu in southern Jiangsu Province near Suzhou originally were collected in much larger sizes for use in gardens. During the Tang Dynasty, these rocks with many craters were highly prized and appear in Tang garden paintings and poetry. It was not until much later in the Ming and Qing Dynasties that smaller Taihu stones were sought for scholars' studios where they were displayed on wood bases carved to enhance the look of each rock. This rock most likely was collected during the last years of the Qing Dynasty in the early 20th century. Most scholars' rocks, particularly those from Taihu, were enhanced in some way, even though many collectors prefer to believe their pieces were shaped entirely by nature. A quote attributed to a 12th century rock connoisseur named Du Wan said they ". . . have to be chiseled, ground and polished to complete their beauty," and about Taihu rocks said ". . . those that are slightly inferior in their characteristic hollows and crags are improved by more chiseling and then aged by resubmersion. . ." The important criterion for a Chinese scholar after he found a rock he liked from every angle was his personal response to the stone, that it represented for him nature and its powers. Taihu stones had an additional attraction for some scholars who interpreted the holes as the abodes of revered immortals. The wood stand on this piece provides good support for the relatively small bottom portion of the stone, yet enhances the drama of the rock. Dimensions including stand: height 14" (36 cm), width 6 1/2" (17 cm), depth 4 1/2" (12 cm). | |||||||||||||
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