Tree
early 19th century
Brooklyn Museum photograph
Caption
Tree, early 19th century. Natural coral with wooden base, 30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm) Base: 3 x 8 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (7.6 x 21.6 x 18.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass, 77.53. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Gallery
Not on view
Collection
Title
Tree
Date
early 19th century
Dynasty
Qing Dynasty
Period
Qing Dynasty
Geography
Place made: China
Medium
Natural coral with wooden base
Classification
Dimensions
30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm) Base: 3 x 8 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (7.6 x 21.6 x 18.4 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass
Accession Number
77.53
Frequent Art Questions
What makes it interesting to the museum curators?
The point of interest of this piece is that it is really representative of pieces known as "scholar objects". Or objects that scholars in China would place on their desks to use for meditative experiences, to get lost in thought. In East Asia, old trees are admired for their resilience and endurance. To the scholar who displayed this tree, it was a reminder of the wisdom that comes from experience.Also, coral is a very valuable and beautiful material.Coral is a hard material to work with and requires some practice and skill. The carver selected this piece for its form and shaped it to look more like a weathered tree. The finished piece was polished, too.
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