A TAIHU ‘INFINITY’ SCHOLAR’S ROCK, LATE QING DYNASTY TO REPUBLIC PERIODChina, Suzhou, 1850-1949. The massive rock is of a fine ochre-yellow tone throughout. The irregular, horizontal form with its innumerable protrusions and deep crevasses evokes a monumental mountain range.Provenance: Chicago trade, USA.Condition: Very good condition with extensive old wear and some weathering, minute nicks, light scratches, signs of erosion consistent with having been exposed to weather conditions for at least several decades.Weight: 33 kg (excl. base)Dimensions: Width 53 cm (excl. base) and 54 cm (incl. base)With a fitted hardwood stand dating from the same period or slightly later. (2)Taihu or porous stone is a kind of limestone produced at the foot of Dongting Mountain in Suzhou, which is close to Lake Tai. Due to long-term surging by water, this kind of rock features many pores and holes of various depths and sizes.This rock is a fine representation of the ‘tou’ quality, openness or holes, one of the few fundamental qualities prized in a scholar’s rock. This is further explained by Richard Rosenblum in his essay in Robert D. Mowry’s Worlds Within Worlds: The Richard Rosenblum Collection of Scholars’ Rocks, Harvard University Art Museums, 1996, pp. 117-18, where he writes in reference to Taihu rocks, “the holes within holes of these rocks give theexperience of infinity” and “varying in size and orientation, these holes create the sensation of an ever-changing and infinite world within a finite object.”Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 17 March 2017, lot 1117Price: USD 30,000 or approx.EUR 33,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A taihu scholar’s rockExpert remark: Note the slightly larger width (66 cm)Auction resultparison:Type: Closely relatedAuction: Christie’s New York, 25 September 2020, lot 1642Price: USD 18,750 or approx.EUR 19,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writingDescription: A large yellow taihu scholar’s rock, Qing dynastyExpert remark: Note the slightly larger width (64.8 cm)清末明初太湖石賞石中國, 蘇州，1850-1949年。各有峰巒，嵌空穿眼，宛轉相通，通體呈細膩的赭黃色調。