Gongshi; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.

Gongshi; China, Qing dynasty, 19th century.
Stone and wooden base.
Measurements: 29 x 11 x 7 cm; 10 x 15 x 11 cm (stand).
Gongshi also known as scholar's rocks or vision stones, are natural or shaped rocks traditionally prized by Chinese scholars. Scholar's stones can be of any color, and contrasting colors are not uncommon. The size of the stone can also vary widely: scholar's rocks can weigh hundreds of kilograms or less than one kilogram. The term also identifies stones placed in traditional Chinese gardens. In the Tang dynasty, a set of four important qualities was recognized for rocks. They are: thinness, openness, punctures and wrinkles. Scholar stones are usually karst limestones.
In the 17th century, the aesthetic ideals of painting and Scholar rocks were almost indistinguishable. Sets of fantastical rocks in a garden, often arranged in front of a white wall, as in The Astor Court, could be inspired by compositional formulas developed in painted landscapes; conversely, the texture and fantastical forms of painted landscapes often resembled those of scholar's rocks more closely than those of the actual landscape. The passion for fantastic rocks culminated at this time in numerous "portraits" of real and imaginary specimens.