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Description

A ‘BURSTING CLOUDS’ SCHOLAR’S ROCK, GONGSHI, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD

A ‘BURSTING CLOUDS’ SCHOLAR’S ROCK, GONGSHI, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD China, late 19th – first half of the 20th century. Of irregular cloud-like form, pierced with numerous holes, rising from a narrow foot to a large bulbous top, with protrusions and deep crevasses as well as reticulation. The porous stone is of a distinctly black tone suffused by distinct gray veins. Provenance: From a private Dutch collection. Condition: Excellent condition with minor wear and natural imperfections including natural inclusions and fissures. Tiny nicks and abrasions, all as expected. Weight: 3,653 (incl. stand) Dimensions: Height 45.3 cm (incl. stand), 36 cm (excl. stand) Firmly mounted on a fitted wood stand. (2) As far back as the Song Dynasty, naturally weathered rocks were collected and displayed for pleasure and by the 17th century individual rocks were important and respected enough to have portraits commissioned. Exceptional examples possess good shape, texture and color, and have resonance when struck. Given these qualities a viewer can admire the strength of outline, perhaps seeing a mountain ridge or a rising cloud within the amorphous mass, and delight in following the twisting, undulating surface texture with their eyes. Transplanted from its original location where it was hewn by nature over thousands of years, a rock sitting on a scholar's desk can represent a whole world in miniature and allow the viewer's imagination to run. Connoisseurs of scholar's rocks throughout the ages have boiled down their criteria for evaluating stones into twelve terms: thin, wrinkled, porous, permeable, clear, ugly, obtuse, clumsy, teal, powerful, beautiful, deep. Stones that have half of these features are considered rare and superior. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 18 March 2008, lot 253 Price: USD 22,500 or approx. EUR 30,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A black 'Ying' scholar's rock: dancing maiden Expert remark: Compare the closely related color and top-heavy vertical section of perforated stone. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams New York, 14 September 2015, lot 8144 Price: USD 8,125 or approx. EUR 9,900 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A scholar’s rock Expert remark: Compare the closely related color, top-heavy vertical section of perforated stone, and similar size (39.5 cm).

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A ‘BURSTING CLOUDS’ SCHOLAR’S ROCK, GONGSHI, LATE QING TO REPUBLIC PERIOD

Estimate 1 000 - 2 000 EUR
Starting price 1 000 EUR

* Not including buyer’s premium.
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Sale fees: 30 %
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For sale on Friday 28 Jun : 11:00 (CEST)
vienna, Austria
Galerie Zacke
+4315320452
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