Scholar's Rock
This natural piece of limestone, gray with a faint tint of green, resembles a rugged mountain in miniature. Its rough surface, layered with horizontal fissures and interspersed with indentations, evokes cliff walls marked with eons of natural erosion. It sits on a wooden stand made precisely to fit its base. The stand is supported on six short legs and decorated with a row of hemispheric bosses on its outer rim.
The object's dramatic silhouette and fine linear texture are characteristic of the highly prized ornamental Lingbi rocks from Lingbi County, Anhui Province. The structure and the decorative program of the wooden stand embody the elegance and refinement of craftsmanship peculiar to 18th-century Chinese wood carving.
The object's dramatic silhouette and fine linear texture are characteristic of the highly prized ornamental Lingbi rocks from Lingbi County, Anhui Province. The structure and the decorative program of the wooden stand embody the elegance and refinement of craftsmanship peculiar to 18th-century Chinese wood carving.
Artwork Details
- 石灰岩奇石
- Title: Scholar's Rock
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) or modern
- Date: 18th–20th century
- Culture: China
- Medium: Limestone; wood stand
- Dimensions: H. 17 in. (4.2 cm); W. 15 1/2 in. (39.4 cm); D. 9 in. (22.9 cm)
- Classification: Sculpture
- Credit Line: Purchase, The B. D. G. Leviton Foundation Gift, in honor of Marie-Hélène Weill, 2011
- Object Number: 2011.40a, b
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
China
18th–19th century (?)
China
20th century
China
second half 15th century
China
18th century
China
17th–18th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.