Existing comment:
Scholars's Stone:
Why is this unusual rock here?
The furnishings of a scholar's room often included a "scholar's stone" (sometimes called a viewing stone). Scholars collected such stones, worn and eroded into rugged shapes, for personal enjoyment and contemplation. Some stones look like miniature mountains. Others have textures and crevices that suggest great age. Chinese scholars found delight and inspiration in surprising and unusual shapes found in nature. |