• Source: Gongshi

Gongshi (Chinese: 供石), also known as scholar's rocks or viewing stones, are naturally occurring or shaped rocks which are traditionally appreciated by Chinese scholars. The term is related to the Korean suseok (수석) and the Japanese suiseki (水石).
Scholars' rocks can be any color, and contrasting colors are not uncommon. The size of the stone can also be quite varied: scholars' rocks can weigh hundreds of pounds or less than one pound. The term also identifies stones which are placed in traditional Chinese gardens.




History


In the Tang dynasty, a set of four important qualities for the rocks were recognized. They are: thinness (瘦 shòu), openness (透 tòu), perforations (漏 lòu), and wrinkling (皺 zhòu).
Gongshi influenced the development of Korean suseok and Japanese suiseki.




Sources



There are three main Chinese sources for these stones.

Lingbi stone (Lingbishi) (Chinese: 灵璧石) from Lingbi, Anhui province, limestone
Taihu stone (Taihushi) (Chinese: 太湖石) from Lake Tai, Jiangsu province, limestone
Yingde stone (Yingshi or Yingdeshi) (Chinese: 英石 or 英德石) from Yingde, Guangdong province, limestone
The geological conditions needed for the formation of stones are also present at some other sites.




Formation


Scholar's stones are generally karstic limestone. Limestone is water-soluble under some conditions. Dissolution pitting dissolves hollows in the limestone. On a larger scale, this causes speleogenesis (when caves dissolve in limestone bedrock). On a still larger scale, the dissolved caves collapse, gradually creating karst topography, such as the famous landscapes of Guilin in the South China Karst.
As rocks are broadly fractal (geology journals require a scale to be included in images of rocks), the small rocks can resemble the larger landscape.




Aesthetics



The aesthetics of a scholar's rock is based on subtleties of color, shape, markings, surface, and sound. Prized qualities include:

awkward or overhanging asymmetry
resonance or ringing when struck
representation or resemblance to mountainous landscapes, particularly these believed to be inhabited by immortal beings or figures
texture
moistness or glossy surface
The stone may be displayed on a rosewood pedestal that has been carved specifically for the stone. The stones are a traditional subject of Chinese paintings.




Gallery































See also


Geode – Hollow formation inside a rock
Penjing – Chinese miniature trees and landscapes




References






Further reading


Little, Stephen, Spirit stones of China, the Ian and Susan Wilson collection of Chinese stones, paintings, and related scholars' objects, Chicago, Art Institute of Chicago, 1999, ISBN 0-86559-173-3




External links


Media related to Scholar's rocks at Wikimedia Commons

Visuals and examples of scholar rocks
Galleries of scholar rocks
Books on scholars' rocks
Chinese scholar's rock history, an introductory historical background
Classification of Chinese scholar's rocks
Scholar's rock at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• Pemberontakan petani
• Cen Wenben
• Ortografi bahasa Formosa
• Konsensus Beijing
• Daftar pahlawan Tiongkok dalam Perang Tiongkok-Jepang Kedua
• Li Zitong
• Gaozu dari Tang
• Shen Faxing
• Insiden Jinan
• Transisi dari Sui ke Tang
• Gongshi
• 1992 Consensus
• Suseok
• Imperial examination
• Fu Gongshi
• Cai Gongshi
• Jinan incident
• Gou Xi
• Public Television Service
• Limestone