Chinese Qing Dynasty Large Scholar's Stone

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Fine Ethnographic / Asian / Ancient Art

By Artemis Gallery

May 10, 2018

Set Reminder 2018-05-10 10:00:00 2018-05-10 10:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Fine Ethnographic / Asian / Ancient Art https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/fine-ethnographic-asian-ancient-art-3213
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• Lot Description
  East Asia, China, Qing (Ching) Dynasty, ca. 1644 to 1912 CE. A Chinese Scholar's stone of black hues with slate grey, wine red, and milky white inclusions - displaying a polished leather-like finish. The composition presents a remarkable form that conjures craggy mountainscapes, and is set in the hollowed recess of a 4-legged extensively carved wooden pedestal base whose ovoid body was meticulously carved with patterns resembling billowing clouds hovering above the zoomorphic legs and retains traces of a burgundy finish. The term "scholar's rock" is traditionally used to describe rocks of a distinctive shape, color, and texture, with an appearance impressive enough to be deemed fitting for meditation in a scholar's studio. Size: 21.5" W x 30" H (54.6 cm x 76.2 cm); 35.75" H (90.8 cm) on included custom stand.
  
  Chinese Scholar's Rocks are either naturally formed or sculpted stones that manifest in surprising shapes and textures, as we see in this example. Collected by scholars (literati) since ancient times, scholar stones are now increasing in popularity throughout the West as many can appreciate their artistic value. Scholars rocks reside in the most prestigious museums; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, and the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC have permanent exhibits of these mesmerizing stones. Writers have dubbed these amazing scholar rocks "Rock Stars", "New Hot Stones", and "3-D Paintings". Stones that have been sculpted naturally via erosion or that appear to have been shaped by nature even if they have been artfully enhanced by man are especially prized. Such rocks in their pitted, hollowed out, and perforated state, are often dramatically displayed on end, as we see here; in this manner they are regarded as embodying dynamic transformational yet natural processes. Interestingly, such stones resonate with modern day collectors who oftentimes draw parallels between these stones and the avant-garde sculptures of Brancusi, Giacometti, and Moore.
  
  Provenance: private Scollard collection, Los Angeles, California, USA
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
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  #127561

  Condition

  One area of loss to lower tip of stone. Beige mineral deposits on some areas of the surface. The sculptural pedestal base shows expected surface wear, pigment loss, and age cracks; its legs were reattached.
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