“Have you ever encountered a silent storyteller?” That’s what the Taihu stone before you is. It is a porous limestone sculpture that whispers tales of ancient China. Taihu stone, or porous stone, comes from the foot of Dongting Mountain in Suzhou near Lake Tai.
These stones are very popular in gardening, following traditional Daoism and juxtaposition. These themes are very popular in that style of decoration. Taihu stones have been admired since the Tang dynasty. They are widely recognized both in China and western countries. Their primary use was as garden stones. Often these large signature pieces occupied key locations in classical gardens. Taihu became a major stone used in traditional gardens in the Tang dynasty. It was also used in other classical gardens built in later dynasties.
The larger garden stones became the object of many artists, poets, and writers. In fact, they may well have been the subject of more works of art and writings than any other stone. Medium to smaller-sized pieces of Taihu stone were used to build rockeries in gardens. They were also used in key locations along the edges and in small ponds or lakes within gardens.
Smaller choice pieces of Taihu stones were mounted on wooden bases. They were brought indoors and used as scholar’s stones on the desks of artists, poets, and writers. Antique Taihu stones from the Ming and Qing dynasties are in great demand. They command high prices when they can be traced to that time.
One of the best places to see historically important Taihu stones is the Lingering Garden in Suzhou. This Ming dynasty garden has collected and erected over 30 large vertically oriented stones. This includes The Cloud-Capped Peak. It is one of three most famous Taihu stones in China. Other well-known stones in this garden include The Mountainous Cloud Peak, The Auspicious Cloud Peak, and The Sunflower Peak.
Original Taihu stones are heavily water-worn pieces. They are the result of millions of years of wave action. This slowly erodes away softer stone. It leaves behind an abstract shaped rock. This rock has numerous holes or channels. These are often slender and more vertical than horizontally oriented. It also has a wrinkled surface with indentations and undulations. Edges on Taihu stones are typically rounded or nearly so. They appear worn rather than having sharp edges.
These pieces of limestone are often granular. They range in color from the more commonly encountered cream and off white stones to ones that are light gray and less common pale blue to yellow, red, and black. One Tang dynasty high official loved stones. Niu Sengru assembled a collection of over 1,000 stones. He was especially fond of Taihu stones. Niu had the famous poet Bai Juyi write The Records of Tai Lake Stones for him. This illustrates the importance of these stones at that time.
So, as you gaze upon this Taihu stone remember its journey. Envision the scholars, poets, and emperors who found inspiration in its unique form. This isn’t just a rock. It’s a piece of Chinese history frozen in time, a testament to the enduring power of nature and art.