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''Gongshi'' (), also known as scholar's rocks, are naturally occurring or shaped
rocks In geology, rock (or stone) is any naturally occurring solid mass or aggregate of minerals or mineraloid matter. It is categorized by the minerals included, its chemical composition, and the way in which it is formed. Rocks form the Earth's o ...
which are traditionally appreciated by Chinese scholars.Metropolitan Museum of Art
"The World of Scholars' Rocks Gardens, Studios, and Paintings"
retrieved 2012-12-20.
The term is related to the Korean ''
suseok ''Suseok'' ( ko, 수석), also called viewing stones or scholar's stones, is the Korean term for rocks resembling natural landscapes.suiseki In traditional Japanese culture, are small naturally occurring or shaped rocks which are appreciated for their aesthetic or decorative value. They are similar to Chinese scholar's rocks.Cousins, Craig. (2006) ''Bonsai Master Class,'' p. 244 ...
'' (). Scholars' rocks can be any color, and contrasting colors are not uncommon. The size of the stone can also be quite varied: scholars' rocks can weigh hundreds of pounds or less than one pound. The term also identifies stones which are placed in traditional
Chinese garden The Chinese garden is a landscape garden style which has evolved over three thousand years. It includes both the vast gardens of the Chinese emperors and members of the imperial family, built for pleasure and to impress, and the more intimate g ...
s.


History

In the
Tang dynasty The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, t= ), or Tang Empire, was an Dynasties in Chinese history, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907 AD, with an Zhou dynasty (690–705), interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dyn ...
, a set of four important qualities for the rocks were recognized. They are: thinness (瘦 shòu), openness (透 tòu), perforations (漏 lòu), and wrinkling (皺 zhòu). Gongshi influenced the development of Korean ''
suseok ''Suseok'' ( ko, 수석), also called viewing stones or scholar's stones, is the Korean term for rocks resembling natural landscapes.suiseki In traditional Japanese culture, are small naturally occurring or shaped rocks which are appreciated for their aesthetic or decorative value. They are similar to Chinese scholar's rocks.Cousins, Craig. (2006) ''Bonsai Master Class,'' p. 244 ...
''.


Sources

There are three main Chinese sources for these stones. * Lingbi stone (''Lingbishi'') (Chinese: 灵璧石) from Lingbi,
Anhui Anhui , (; formerly romanized as Anhwei) is a landlocked province of the People's Republic of China, part of the East China region. Its provincial capital and largest city is Hefei. The province is located across the basins of the Yangtze River ...
province, limestoneCousins, Craig. (2006)
''Bonsai Master Class,'' p. 246
Lingbi Stone and Asian Art Collection
. (2014)
*
Taihu stone Taihu stone () or porous stone is a kind of limestone produced at the foot of Dongting Mountain () in Suzhou, which is close to Lake Tai. Due to long-term surging by water, this kind of stone features pores and holes. These stones are very popula ...
(''Taihushi'') (Chinese: 太湖石) from
Lake Tai Taihu (), also known as Lake Tai or Lake Taihu, is a lake in the Yangtze Delta and one of the largest freshwater lakes in China. The lake is in Jiangsu province and a significant part of its southern shore forms its border with Zhejiang. Wit ...
,
Jiangsu Jiangsu (; ; pinyin: Jiāngsū, alternatively romanized as Kiangsu or Chiangsu) is an eastern coastal province of the People's Republic of China. It is one of the leading provinces in finance, education, technology, and tourism, with its c ...
province, limestone * Yingde stone (''Yingshi'' or ''Yingdeshi'') (Chinese: 英石 or 英德石) from
Yingde Yingde ( postal: Yingtak; ) is a historical city in the north of Guangdong Province, China. The city is on the Bei River, a tributary of the Pearl River. Administratively, it is part of the Qingyuan prefecture-level city. The principal varietie ...
,
Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...
province, limestone The geological conditions needed for the formation of stones are also present at some other sites.


Formation

Scholar's stones are generally karstic limestone.
Limestone Limestone ( calcium carbonate ) is a type of carbonate sedimentary rock which is the main source of the material lime. It is composed mostly of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of . Limestone forms when ...
is water-soluble under some conditions. Dissolution pitting dissolves hollows in the limestone. On a larger scale, this causes
speleogenesis Speleogenesis is the origin and development of caves, the primary process that determines essential features of the hydrogeology of karst and guides its evolution. It often deals with the development of caves through limestone, caused by the presenc ...
(when caves dissolve in limestone
bedrock In geology, bedrock is solid rock that lies under loose material (regolith) within the crust of Earth or another terrestrial planet. Definition Bedrock is the solid rock that underlies looser surface material. An exposed portion of bedro ...
). On a still larger scale, the dissolved caves collapse, gradually creating
karst topography Karst is a topography formed from the dissolution of soluble rocks such as limestone, dolomite, and gypsum. It is characterized by underground drainage systems with sinkholes and caves. It has also been documented for more weathering-resistant ...
, such as the famous landscapes of
Guilin Guilin (Standard Zhuang: ''Gveilinz''; postal map romanization, alternatively romanization of Chinese, romanized as Kweilin) is a prefecture-level city in the northeast of China's Guangxi, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. It is situated on th ...
in the
South China Karst The South China Karst (), a UNESCO World Heritage Site since June 2007, spans the provinces of Chongqing, Guangxi, Guizhou, and Yunnan. It is noted for its karst features and landscapes as well as rich biodiversity. The site comprises seven clust ...
. As rocks are broadly
fractal In mathematics, a fractal is a geometric shape containing detailed structure at arbitrarily small scales, usually having a fractal dimension strictly exceeding the topological dimension. Many fractals appear similar at various scales, as il ...
(geology journals require a scale to be included in images of rocks), the small rocks can resemble the larger landscape.


Aesthetics

The
aesthetics Aesthetics, or esthetics, is a branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of beauty and taste, as well as the philosophy of art (its own area of philosophy that comes out of aesthetics). It examines aesthetic values, often expressed thr ...
of a scholar's rock is based on subtleties of color, shape, markings, surface, and sound. Prized qualities include: * awkward or overhanging
asymmetry Asymmetry is the absence of, or a violation of, symmetry (the property of an object being invariant to a transformation, such as reflection). Symmetry is an important property of both physical and abstract systems and it may be displayed in pre ...
Mendelson, John
"Chinese scholars' rocks simultaneously original and simulacrum" at ArtNet.com
1996; retrieved 2012-12-20>
* resonance or ringing when struck * representation or resemblance to mountainous
landscapes A landscape is the visible features of an area of land, its landforms, and how they integrate with natural or man-made features, often considered in terms of their aesthetic appeal.''New Oxford American Dictionary''. A landscape includes the p ...
, particularly these believed to be inhabited by immortal beings or figure *
texture Texture may refer to: Science and technology * Surface texture, the texture means smoothness, roughness, or bumpiness of the surface of an object * Texture (roads), road surface characteristics with waves shorter than road roughness * Texture ( ...
* moistness or glossy surface The stone may be displayed on a
rosewood Rosewood refers to any of a number of richly hued timbers, often brownish with darker veining, but found in many different hues. True rosewoods All genuine rosewoods belong to the genus ''Dalbergia''. The pre-eminent rosewood appreciated in ...
pedestal that has been carved specifically for the stone. The stones are a traditional subject of Chinese paintings.Harvard Museums
"Scholar's rock", 1993 painting
Linrothe, Robert N. (2004)
''Paradise and Plumage: Chinese Connections in Tibetan Arhat Painting,'' p. 24
retrieved 2012-12-20.


Gallery

File:太湖賞石-Rock in the form of a fantastic mountain MET DT208239.jpg, Taihu limestone File:山形靈璧石-Rock in the Form of a Fantastic Mountain MET L37147 2011 575 3ab.jpg, Black Lingbi limestone File:靈璧賞石-Rock in the form of a fantastic mountain MET DP350726.jpg, Gray Lingbi limestone File:靈璧賞石-Rock in the form of a fantastic mountain MET DT208238.jpg, Black Lingbi limestone File:Taihu rock, China, Qing dynasty, limestone with hongmu wood base - Princeton University Art Museum - DSC07081.jpg, Taihu limestone


See also

*
Penjing ''Penjing'', also known as ''penzai'', is the ancient Chinese art of depicting artistically formed trees, other plants, and landscapes in miniature. Penjing generally fall into one of three categories: * Shumu penjing (樹木盆景): Tree penjin ...
*
Suseok ''Suseok'' ( ko, 수석), also called viewing stones or scholar's stones, is the Korean term for rocks resembling natural landscapes.Suiseki In traditional Japanese culture, are small naturally occurring or shaped rocks which are appreciated for their aesthetic or decorative value. They are similar to Chinese scholar's rocks.Cousins, Craig. (2006) ''Bonsai Master Class,'' p. 244 ...


References


Further reading

* Little, Stephen, ''Spirit stones of China, the Ian and Susan Wilson collection of Chinese stones, paintings, and related scholars' objects'', Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, 1999,


External links

{{Commons category-inline, Scholar's rocks
Visuals and examples of scholar rocks

Galleries of scholar rocks

Books on scholars' rocks


* ttp://shimagata.tripod.com/srclass.htm Classification of Chinese scholar's rocks
Scholar's rock at Metropolitan Museum of Art
Outdoor sculptures in China Chinese art Chinese gardening styles Rock art in China Garden ornaments