Rock Mountain

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.