Large and Fine Chinese Scholar Rock Lingbi Stone on Display Stand

An impressive Chinese scholar Lingbi stone (also known as Gong Shi in Chinese; meditation stone and spirit rock in the West) of substantial height and mass on a carved wood display stand. The dark stone takes a vertical cloud form and is well balanced on the stand. The lustrous blackish grey color is mottled with areas of reddish core. The textured surface features pronounced wrinkles, furrows and linked grottos that allow one to see through, but upon touch it feels strangely smooth. The wood stand that supports the stone was wonderfully carved featuring small pine clusters. Formed in nature and selected by human, the characteristic of this stone was to provide distinct views at different angels, making it a particular interesting stone to meditate upon.
One of the four famous ancient stones from China, Lingbi is a limestone in essence. It is originated and collected from Lingbi, Anhui Province. The name came from the unique character that it has a bright hollow ring tone like metal upon hitting. Scholar stones are priced by the collectors for their four qualities: Shou (thinness), Zhou (wrinkles), Lou (hollowness), and Tou (transparency). The history of collecting and appreciating interesting stones among the literati in China began as early as the 13th century in Yuan Dynasty, and it continued to this day. These stones were highly priced for their form and shape, which were considered containing the spirit of nature. They were displayed in the scholar's studio for meditation.
Reference: For similar examples of Lingbi Stone, see Spirit Stones The Ancient Art of the Scholar's Rock by Kemin Hu and Thomas S. Elias.