Chinese Chicken Blood Stone Carving of Bodhidharma on Wood Stand

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A small chicken blood stone carving from China circa early 20th century, possibly early (late Qing to early Republic period). … Read more A small chicken blood stone carving from China circa early 20th century, possibly early (late Qing to early Republic period). It depicts an aged Bodhidharma meditating in a cave. The stone was identified as chicken blood stone, a rock of fine-grained mixture of clay and quartz, with varying amounts of cinnabar, which manifests in red spots, streaks, and patterns. The stone is found only in Changhua, Zhejiang Province and Balinyouqi, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. It is regarded as one of the three most cherished stone types for making seals and small carvings like this. The current stone is of a boulder form, mostly yellowish white and with the carving, the inner cinnabar red appears in random places.
Bodhidharma, a legendary Buddhist monk from Central Asian or India who was credited for bringing Chan school of Buddhism (also known in Japan as Zen) to China around 5-6th century. One of the most unique practices attributed to him was wall-gazing, a type of meditation in solitude. Throughout the history of art, he was often depicted meditating in a small cave, on painting and as sculpture as seen in this piece. The display stand is carved from solid wood and resembles the platform of a Buddhism temple. It is likely the original stand to compliment the carving conceptually. See less