Chinese Xiu Yu (Elegant Jade) Stone on Hardwood Base

A mountain range in peach, moss and ink, polished smooth and small enough to live with.

This xiu yu, or elegant jade, stone comes from the Gobi Desert, China, and sits on a hardwood base. Its age is indeterminate. Chinese scholars long admired natural stones for suggesting landscapes in miniature, and displayed them on fitted stands. Vertical bands of peach and soft green run through black, with a streak of white crossing the right shoulder. The surface shines at the crown, and the base is dark and quietly footed. It stands 24 inches high and 17.5 wide.

Hardly anyone walks past a stone like this without putting out a hand.