Description

Stones, similar to other landscape elements, are regarded as spirited beings in China. Taihu stones are particularly valued for their natural shapes and sculptural qualities and are a cultural peculiarity. These perforated limestones were originally sourced from Lake Tai in southeast China from where they got their names. They were collected, set up like sculptures in gardens, or installed on a scholar’s desk as miniature mountains. The veneration of garden rocks reached a peak during the 11th century when emperor Huizong painted the portrait of a stone and the scholar-official Mi Fu, a collector of stones, bowed deeply in front of an imposing garden stone addressing it reverently as "Elder Brother Rock."