Chinese Scholar's Rock

A pebble that settled on top of a slightly larger pebble and decided to stay.

This scholar's rock comes from Guangxi, China, in yellow wax stone on a hardwood stand. Chinese scholars have long kept stones like this on their desks as miniature landscapes, and Guangxi's yellow wax stone is valued for its smooth, waxy luster. The stone is a rounded, two-tiered form, a smaller dome resting on a broader lower mass, with a deep groove between them. Its surface shifts from honey to ochre, with a darker brown patch along one side. It sits in a fitted recess on a dark hardwood stand. It is 5.5 inches high and 3.5 wide.

Nature did the sculpting. Someone else had the good sense to notice.