Chinese Ji Xue Shi (Chicken Blood Stone) on Hardwood Base

White lightning through red stone, halted for the benefit of the viewer.

This ji xue shi, or chicken blood stone, sits on a hardwood base. It comes from Zhejiang Province, China, and its age is indeterminate. Presented as a gongshi, or scholar's rock, it belongs to a long Chinese habit of placing striking natural stones on carved stands for study and contemplation. The polished form is a vivid orange-red with broad white veins slashing diagonally across it and fine dark lines running top to bottom. The base is dark, rounded and low. Thirteen inches high and ten wide.

The storm has been over for some time.