Chinese Scholars’ Rocks

Presentation looking at collecting of Scholar's Stones (gongshi)over the ages and how it has evolved. Scholars developed aesthetic principles to appreciate the beauty of stones, for example, for their thinness and narrow base, interesting perforations, and crisp silhouette. As features of gardens and later indoors, they became highly desirable items to collect, and objects to spark conversation or inspiration in poetry and paintings. The talk includes classical and modern examples, and highlights of two important private collections are shown, one in the Boston area and a second near Taipei.