Chinese Yellow Scholar Taihu Stone on Wood Stand

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A Chinese Taihu scholar rock is displayed on a carved wood base in an vertical form. Well-balanced and resembling a … Read more A Chinese Taihu scholar rock is displayed on a carved wood base in an vertical form. Well-balanced and resembling a mushroom head, the stone is of an uncommon deep yellow color with black mineral deposits nicely mixed into the waxy texture. Being exposed to the flowing water for millennium, the surface has been polished and weathered and is now smooth. Many grottoes puncture and permeate the piece. Interlinking and window-like, they create interesting positive and negative spaces for a meditative mind. A remarkable work of art created by mother nature.
Stones such as this from Taihu lake was among the four famous stones: Taihu, Lingbi, Yingde and Kun Stones, since ancient time in China. They have been prized by Chinese scholars as far back as Tang dynasty when using them in garden came in vogue. Later on, smaller pieces like this one were collected and displayed in the scholar's private study serving as a mini form of nature for meditation. In China, they are also known as Gongshi ("worshipped stone") and in the west, known also as Spirit Stone. With their exotic shape with and curious cavities and surface texture, these stones were highly appreciated as an inspiration with the philosophical idea that a piece of nature with spirit can be contained in human's adobe which in turn reflects the owner's virtue and cultural depth. See less