A lingbi scholar's rock
A lingbi scholar's rock. Estimate US$ 2,500 - 4,000 (€2,200 - 3,600). Photo: Bonhams.
Short and narrow in an irregular tubular shape, the gray-black stone densely striated to form a sharp and craggy exterior, supported by a custom made hardwood stand carved to the contours of the underside and incised with a 14-character archaistic inscription across the front. 13in (33cm) long
Notes: The sardonic inscription quotes a Southern Song ode referencing the artist Mi Fu's legendarily eccentric relationship with scholars' rocks:
好藏莫便令人見
恐有痴情似米顛
Haocang mobian ling ren jian,
kong you chiqing si midian
'The collector best not let other people see his obsession,
lest they think him as infatuated as 'Crazy Mi!'
Bonham's. CHINESE PAINTINGS AND WORKS OF ART, 14 Sep 2015 10:00 EDT - NEW YORK