"Recumbent Lion" Chinese Lingbi Scholars' Rock

Description

Sculptural and unusual stone formations have long been fixtures of the scholars' studio, displayed as sources of beauty and creative … more Sculptural and unusual stone formations have long been fixtures of the scholars' studio, displayed as sources of beauty and creative inspiration. Known as gongshi, or scholars' rocks, each stone is selected for the aesthetic criteria of thinness (瘦 shòu), perforations (漏 lòu), openness (透 tòu) and wrinkling (皺 zhòu). Meditating on the stone’s intriguing, suggestive form, the scholar found inspiration in the textured surface as a microcosm of the universe.

This classic scholars' rock is a form of limestone from Anhui province known as lingbi stone. Prized for their density and dark gray tones, lingbi stones form with intriguing negative spaces and have a naturally polished look that accentuates the stone's expressive veining. Within this stone's smooth contours, we see a mythical fu lion protector, reclining on the ground with his head in the air. less