Minneapolis Institute of Art

Scholar's rock

China

Date

18th century

Medium

Lao-shan stone

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

In China, this type of stone is typically called Lao-shan hai ti yu (Lao-shan jade from the ocean floor) or simply Lao-shan lu shih (Lao-shan green stone). Such stones are composed of serpentine and were retrieved from the waters off the coast of Mount Lao, northeast of Ch'ing tao in Shantung province. Lao-shan stones are usually deep green in color with black veining. Appreciated for its resemblance to dark green jade (nephrite), Lao-shan stones were popularized during the Ch'ing period by the painter and calligrapher, Lao Feng han (1683-1749). A noted collector of scholar rocks, Gao, born and raised in Shantung, spent his last decade at his ancestral home researching and collecting products of his homeland including Lao-shan stones. Asia

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