Scholars' Rocks from Kemin Hu

The Suyuan Stone Catalogue: Scholars’ Rocks in Ancient China
by Kemin Hu

This is one of the most comprehensive and important texts on the collection and appreciation of scholars’ rocks (gongshi) in ancient China. The selections included here, the first to be published in English, are presented with insightful commentary and over 188 wood-block and full-color illustrations, creating an invaluable reference book for all those interested in traditional Chinese aesthetics, gardens, penjing, or simply the brilliant art of nature.

$50 buy from Amazon
Weatherhill, 2002
156 pages. 8.5″ x 11″, Hard Cover

Other Books on Scholars’ Rocks by Kemin Hu

• Spirit Stones – The Ancient Art of the Scholar’s Rocks (2014)
• The Romance of Scholar’s Stones: Adventures in Appreciation (2011)
• Modern Chinese Scholars’ Rocks – A Guide for Collectors (2006)
• The Suyuan Stone Catalogue: Scholars’ Rocks in Ancient China (2002)
• The Spirit of Gongshi: Chinese Scholar’s Rocks (1998)

The Suyuan Stone Catalogue (original Chinese volumes)
By Lin Youlin (1578 – 1647)

In its four volumes, the Suyuan Stone Catalogue introduces about a hundred famous stones and rock types with commentary, and 235 illustrations. Readers can appreciate their charm through both pictures and text, which enable them to recognize famous stones once possessed by celebrities like Mi Fu and Su Shi.

$50 Text in Chinese with hard silk box, 1613, reprint 2002
172 pages. 6.5″ x 10.5″, Soft cover