Rare Chinese Xuan Scholar Stone on Display Stand

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A rare Xuan type Chinese scholar stone on a carved wood stand circa 19th century Qing dynasty. Xuan stone was … Read more A rare Xuan type Chinese scholar stone on a carved wood stand circa 19th century Qing dynasty. Xuan stone was traditionally collected in Xuan Zhou, Anhui Province in China. The stone is known for its unusually white color and furrowed textures with sharp edges. Due to the small reserve and historical depletion, large specimen used in garden design had now become nearly none-existing. The small pieces were mostly use sparsely in Bonsai to indicate a snowy winter landscape. Only occasionally, a size big enough came to be used as individual meditation stone (Gongshi), like the one on offer. Geologically, the stone belongs to Quartzite family and features white crystalline structure. When it first came out of the ground, it was normally in an iron reddish color. With time, the surface gradually becomes whiter and whiter.
The Xuan stone on offer has a striated trunk form with a tilted balance. The extraordinary surface varies from sharp-edged gullies to smooth crystalline. A small grotto toward the base suggests a natural cavern formed in the mountain. The color is nearly white with scattered deposits of yellow, and with an overall petrified appearance, indicating that this is a rather old specimen, likely collected in late Qing dynasty. The carved wood stand is quite elegant with two tiers and slender cabriole legs, perfecting complementing the shape of the rock. The stone was stabilized inside the base with some Musuem putty. The stone itself is 8" high.
For other example of Xuan stone, see "Spirit Stone the Ancient Art of the Scholar's Rock" by Kemin Hu and Thomas S. Elias. page 150-151. See less