Scholar's rock, Qing dynasty (1644–1911), 19th century. Petrified wood (probably pine), 33.18 x 14.61 x 8.89 cm (including base). The Ruth Ann Dayton Chinese Room Endowment Fund, 2004.13.3 © Minneapolis Institute of Art 

This fragment of petrified wood recalls the soaring tower formations of Mount Huang in Anhui province, whose picturesque ranges have inspired hundreds of China's painters and poets. While it enjoyed limited popularity among collectors of scholar's rocks during Ming and Ch'ing (1368-1911), petrified wood had long been prized as an ancient and precious substance. As its name indicates, petrified wood is a wood that has been transformed into stone through the natural replacement of its cellulose fibers by silica. Change found in nature is a constant Taoist theme. The color of petrified wood will generally be shades of brown and its markings will often reflect the graining of the original wood. The grain patterns in this miniature mountain suggest a close-up view of towering twin pinnacles.