A LARGE (103 CM) AND IMPORTANT YING SCHOLAR’S ROCK, YINGDE, 18TH CENTURY

LOT 109 · 已成交

成交价 EUR10000.00

拍卖时间：2026-10-15 17:00

拍品描述

A LARGE (103 CM) AND IMPORTANT YING SCHOLAR’S ROCK, YINGDE, 18TH CENTURY China. Of irregular, cloud-like outline, the imposing vertical stone rising from a broad base into a gently undulating columnar form. Its surface is deeply fissured with crags and crevices, evoking the sheer face of a towering mountain precipice. The porous stone is of a subtle grey tonality, enlivened by delicate creamy-white veining. Dimensions: Height 103.4 cm 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 hard-working scholar's desk can represent a whole world in miniature and allow the viewer's imagination to run. Ying rocks are named after Yingde in central Guangdong province, where the earliest examples were found and harvested in caves. The ‘dimpled’ irregular texture and glossy surfaces of Ying rocks is attributed to the action of water and many Ying rocks are said to have been formed as stalactites. In his seminal text on Chinese scholar’s rocks, Worlds Within Worlds, Harvard University, Cambridge, 1997, p. 26, Robert D. Mowry notes the high opinion accorded to Ying rocks by Ming artists and connoiseurs. As one example, he cites Wen Zhenheng (1585-1645), who, in his treatise Zhangwu zhi (On the things of the world), ranked Ying rocks second only to those from Lingbi among scholars’ rocks. Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Bonhams New York, 23 March 2026, lot 64 Mid-estimate: USD 40,000 or approx. EUR 35,000 converted at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form of the stone, with similarly jagged ridges and deep crevices. Note the much smaller size (74.3 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Related Auction: Sotheby’s New York, 17 September 2025, lot 160 Price: USD 40,640 or approx. EUR 37,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Expert remark: Compare the related form of the stone, with similarly jagged ridges and deep crevices. Note the much smaller size (58.5 cm).

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