Stone of the Month:
April 2019
"Back in Time"
Connoisseurs of classical Chinese stones seek rocks that display a feeling of oldness or antiquity. This is expressed in the Chinese words jiu
(旧) and gu
(古). This feeling can be evoked by displaying a stone that has been appreciated and held in a collection for centuries; but such stones are actually scarce. A feeling of oldness can be achieved by combining a genuine antique mid-Qing dynasty spindle table with a recently carved Lingbi stone made in a Ming dynasty style. This stone was carved from a block of Lingbi stone to resemble a stone featured in a woodblock print in the second volume of the classic Plain Garden Stone Catalog (Suyuan Shipu)
published in 1613. The stone was then treated chemically to obtain a color and patina similar to the patina found on authentic old stone that has oxidized naturally over decades. It is very difficult for most people to distinguished between a completely natural Lingbi stone and one that has been altered to improve its appearance.
This display table is 65 cm wide, 10 cm high, and 29 cm deep; while the stone is 44 cm wide, 22.5 cm high and 20 cm deep. The two complement each other beautifully and make an effective display of a classical style viewing stone.
