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Source Description
In China, rocks are considered elements of nature that possess spirit and life energy. With its upward winding masses, perforations, weathered surface, and multiple viewpoints, the stone exhibits sculptural qualities and embodies constant transformation through natural forces and human intervention. A solid piece of rock, it was originally sourced from the Lake Tai region. Stones were collected, set up in gardens, or installed on scholar’s desks as miniature mountains. Traditionally, Taihu stones were the most desirable type of rock. This stone is a gift by the contemporary artist Liu Dan, known for his depictions of rocks, who calls them "the stem cells of Chinese landscape."
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
445278
label
Taihu Garden Stone
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
445278
contentType
object
title
Taihu Garden Stone
description
In China, rocks are considered elements of nature that possess spirit and life energy. With its upward winding masses, perforations, weathered surface, and multiple viewpoints, the stone exhibits sculptural qualities and embodies constant transformation through natural forces and human intervention. A solid piece of rock, it was originally sourced from the Lake Tai region. Stones were collected, set up in gardens, or installed on scholar’s desks as miniature mountains. Traditionally, Taihu stones were the most desirable type of rock. This stone is a gift by the contemporary artist Liu Dan, known for his depictions of rocks, who calls them "the stem cells of Chinese landscape."
date
0
citation
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q117246909
genreSpecific
Stone
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
160 x 65 x 50 cm (63 x 25 9/16 x 19 11/16 in.)
cul
China, Jiangsu province, Wuxi
accession
2022.23
Source extras
tec
Limestone
tombstone
Taihu Garden Stone (太湖石), 0. China, Jiangsu province, Wuxi. Limestone; 160 x 65 x 50 cm (63 x 25 9/16 x 19 11/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Gift of Liu Dan, 2022.23
titleInOriginalLanguage
太湖石
collection
Chinese Art
didYouKnow
The donor, Liu Dan, is the most prominent and celebrated painter of rocks in contemporary China.
citations
citation
von Spee, Clarissa. “Gift of a Lake Tai Stone: An image of transformation through natural forces.” <em>Cleveland Art: Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine </em>vol. 62, no. 3 (September 2022): 22–23.
page_number
Reproduced: p. 23; Mentioned: p. 22.
citation
Griswold, William, Xiaofei Tian, Richard Von Glahn, Feng Zhao, S. J. Vainker, Masaaki Itakura, Jiang Wu, et al. <em>China’s Southern Paradise: Treasures from the Lower Yangzi Delta</em>. Edited by Clarissa von Spee. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023.
page_number
Mentioned and Reproduced: p. 255, no. 115
creditline
Gift of Liu Dan
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:01:21.543000
sourceId
445278
dept
Chinese Art
coll
Chinese Art
med
Limestone
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
132fc769eb2be9dd