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Rock Mountain

Asian Art

Since antiquity, Chinese intellectuals have sought solace and inspiration in nature. Because routine obligations kept most scholars from taking daily hikes through the wilderness, many collected objects that could evoke, from home, the grandeur and spirituality of the mountains. Unusually shaped rocks, eroded by the elements and sometimes enhanced by human hands, were a popular addition to desks and gardens. One could imagine oneself as a tiny traveler wandering over the rugged terrain of the rocks’ surfaces and up to their remote peaks.
MEDIUM Steatite with dark wood stand
  • Place Made: China
  • DATES 17th-18th century
    DYNASTY Ming or Qing Dynasty
    PERIOD Late Ming to Early Qing Dynasty
    DIMENSIONS 15 3/4 x 10 x 7 in. (40 x 25.4 x 17.8 cm) Height with stand: 17 3/4 in. (45.1 cm)  (show scale)
    COLLECTIONS Asian Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 86.5
    CREDIT LINE Designated Purchase Fund
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Rock Mountain, 17th-18th century. Steatite with dark wood stand, 15 3/4 x 10 x 7 in. (40 x 25.4 x 17.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Designated Purchase Fund, 86.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.5_SL1.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 86.5_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
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    RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY
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     <em>Rock Mountain</em>, 17th-18th century. Steatite with dark wood stand, 15 3/4 x 10 x 7 in. (40 x 25.4 x 17.8 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Designated Purchase Fund, 86.5. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 86.5_SL1.jpg)