Chinese Scholar's Rock

A perfect round window, and no mason to thank for it.

This scholar's rock is a Taihu stone from Lake Tai, China, of indeterminate age. Taihu stones were the classic prize of Chinese collectors, admired for holes, hollows and strange silhouettes, and placed in gardens and studios as small stand-ins for great mountains. Here a pale grey body narrows to a thin arm around one large circular opening, with two small dark hollows higher up. A carved dark stand with scrolled feet holds it. Nineteen inches high.

The view through it improves on most of what lies beyond.