An array of turquoise, jasper, coral, wax stone, and more, the stones vary in shades of red, black, green, yellow, blue, and brown, and range in height from an inch to thirty inches.
The stones were collected in China from the Tang dynasty (618-907 C.E.) onwards, scholar’s stones are natural formations prized for their aesthetic qualities, particularly their unique colours and shapes, as well as their ability to invoke and encapsulate the natural world.
Usually found in riverbeds, mountains, and other remote locations, the stones would sometimes be enhanced by carving and shaping, or the addition of inscriptions. Named for those who sought and owned the rocks, scholar’s stones were kept in a garden or a study to provide inspiration.
For poets and artists, they evoked a landscape, represented the natural world, and at times the rocks were functionally used as brush rests, incense burners, inkstones, and seals.
In his book on scholar’s stones Worlds Within Worlds, Robert Mowry succinctly stated their use: “Like a landscape painting, the rock represented a microcosm of the universe on which the scholar could meditate within the confines of garden or studio.”
In China, Chinese Scholars’ Rocks or Spirit Stones are called Gongshi. Historically Gongshi has been appreciated by Chinese connoisseurs for more than a thousand years.
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