CHINESE WUJIANG STONE GONGSHI OR SCHOLAR'S ROCK

ANTIQUE CHINESE WUJIANG STONE GONGSHI OR SCHOLAR'S ROCK CHICKEN WING WOOD BASE rare antique Chinese Gongshi or Scholars' Rock. The word gong means "spirit" and shi "stone." The Chinese interest in collecting rocks for religious or aesthetic purposes has been traced back to the Han dynasty (206 B.C. - 220A.D.) when connoisseurs began using large stones to decorate their gardens and courtyards. The interest developed from an appreciation of the larger garden rocks, but the smaller size enabled them to be carried indoors where they could be used for the purposes of meditation, being appreciated for their dramatic form and texture or the feelings they evoked from the viewer. Gongshi can be loosely divided into two general categories: abstract and representational. Abstract stones are commonly called “Scholar’s Rocks”. They may be reminiscent of coral or cloudlike shapes and often have swirls, holes and myriad caverns on their surface. They typically appear to be naturally eroded, sometimes resembling famous or imaginary mountains and natural wonders. Scholar’s rocks are considered the embodiment of the transformational powers of nature. Gongshi which fall into the second category, representational, can also be called “Spirit Stones.” In this category, the rocks themselves transcend the abstract and begin to reference the known world.