Jiulongbi Mountain Meditation Stone

A well-chosen stone is the focal point of both a traditional Chinese garden and a scholar's studio - evoking the complexities of nature and inspiring creative thought. In the spirit ...

Set upon its side, we display this dahua stone like a traditional scholars' rock (gongshi). Meditating on the stone’s irregular composition, the Qing-dynasty scholar sought inspirati...

Sculptural and unusual stone formations have long been fixtures of the Chinese scholars' studio, displayed as sources of beauty and creative inspiration. Known as scholars' rocks (go...

Scholarly pursuits such as painting, calligraphy, and poetry were a highly respected and revered subculture in ancient China, and demanded their own set of tools that were not only functional, but also beautiful. One of the "Four Treasures of the Study," inkstones such as this were used to mix dry ink with water for use in calligraphy painting. This 19th century inkstone is guarded by a mythical fu dog, or shizi, depicted with open jaws and a long mane of flowing curls. Resembling a Buddhist fly whisk...

An intriguing Chinese scholar rock in vertical form presented on a custom hand-carved wood stand circa late Qing Dynasty. The greyish black stone is of Yingde type. Its upright form ...

A fantastic Chinese scholar's stone, called gongshi, of gray lingbi limestone, mounted on a hardwood stand, late Qing or early Republic, early 20th century, circa 1910, China . The ...

On offer is a vertical Chinese scholar rock balanced on a carved wood display stand. The specimen is a wonderful example of Ying (or Yingde) stone, one of the four famed stone types known to Chinese literati and a less common type than Lingbi or Taihu. Gray in color, it has an extraordinary upright form rising from a small stem, like an "Avatar Mountain" peeking out of the mist. Visually it feels impossible for the stone to balance on its thin stem and the wood base. The illusion is due to the thickness of the depth which is not immediately visible from front or back. This type of exotic form was highly desired by the collector. The surface is remarkable with pronounced schisms, gullies, folding lines, with several formation of openings that give it a grotto and airy feel. Different sceneries are revealed when viewed from different angles, making this one of the most intriguing stones in Tishu Gallery...

On offer is a large and expressive scholar rock on a fitted wood stand collected by an American collector in Palm Desert, CA circa 1980s. The deep grey boulder is likely granite and takes a wonderful natural form of a mountain peak. The dark matrix is dramatically intercepted with strokes of white veins, that looks like an abstract painting by Franz Kine. The rock is presented in the tradition of a Chinese scholar rock (Gong Shi) on a fitted carved wood stand, but it strikes the viewer as a modern and abstract version. While Chinese scholar stones are appreciated all over the world, many collectors also look into their local stone sources that reflect the same spirit and philosophy of using the viewing stone...