Close-up of Ying Stone, Guangdong province (Musée Guimet, Paris). Looking closely, we see an almost metallic surface and multiple colors and shades.

An over emphasis on form or the “objectification” of rocks is not easy to avoid; it often comes from an understandable desire to see rocks as an art form. The very act of putting rocks on stands increases this challenge as stands fix rocks into one position and evoke the idea of a sculpture. When we give names to rocks, something I have certainly done, we also risk freezing rocks into a fixed image. While rocks are full of artistic interest and can inspire and stimulate our imaginations, I believe that their many qualities transport them into a unique category that goes beyond “art object.”  

Ying Stone (20th century), Guangdong province, Juxui Zhai (Gathering elegance studio collection)



We should of course embrace the fact that form and color have always been criteria when evaluating rocks. The Suyuan Stone Catalogue by Lin Youlin (1578 – 1647) was written to document over 200 famous rocks. Multiple characteristics are describred in the catalogue including shape, size, color, functional use (ink stone, censor), sound when hit (mostly Lingbi stone), powers (“sobering up stone”), collector name, and place of origin.  

Almost 50% of the rocks in that catalogue resemble mountains, and 15% are shaped like people, plants or animals. Around 10% have naturally occurring images on them such as a Dragon, Monk, a Bird, a Fairy, etc.  

But just because the catalogue mentions shape doesn’t mean it was considered the primary criteria for appreciation. I believe it was just a practical way of identifying stones – after all, the primary purpose of the catalogue was to showcase notable stones for a broad audience.

Wen stone (Qing dynasty or earlier); Shandong province, Juxui Zhai (Gathering Elegance studio) collection. This small stone has three different textures and exudes great power although it can fit in the palm of your hand.

In his mid-19th century book Tanshi— or Chats on Rocks (quoted in John Hay, Kernels of Energy, Bone of Earth (New York City, China Institute in America,1985, p.38), Liang Jiutu stated that “in collecting, it is the choice of rocks that comes first. If the rock does not seem like a painting by the powers of nature, then you shouldn’t choose it.” My interpretation is that this refers to stones whose very essence connects us with the creative forces of the universe.  If spring flowers and fall colors represent the fleeting world, rocks represent the birth of the cosmos. Their complex surfaces evoke nature’s processes and remind us of the complex transformations of the universe. Their surfaces can be described using wide variety of terms including wet, dry, veined, colorful, striated, fine-grained, lustrous, colorful, and dappled. Their varied textures can be characterized as wrinkled, rough, furrowed, pitted, dimpled, pockmarked, smooth, waxy, weathered. Through both touch and sight, we discover the creative results of destructive processes such as erosion and abrasion that made them what they are today.