Twenty years ago, Hu Kemin, a Chinese-American tibetan, wrote a Chinese-English book, The Spirit of Gongshi: Chinese Scholar's Rocks, which featured the collection of stones by three American "literati stone" collectors, including Richard Rosenblum and Ian Wilson, and Chinese painter and collector Wang Jiqian.
Qing Dynasty Ma Yuelu inscription wood fossil "Xiao Linglong"
What impressed me was that Ian Wilson's side of the box had a wood fossil "Xiao Linglong" carved by Ma Yuelu, a famous bibliophile in Yangzhou in the Qing Dynasty, which was like the traditional mountain sub-type stone modeling, brown and yellow in color, jade in texture, thin and wrinkled, exquisite and clear, and unbelievable, which also subverted the author's - I believe that many stone friends - concept of wood fossils. Since then, I have been paying attention to whether there are such wonders among the wood fossils. Of course, in the end, nothing was found. Because, silicified wood to form such a leaky hole, it is indeed too difficult.
"Little Exquisite" part
Also in May and August of the same year, Wilson held a solo stone exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, and compiled the stones he had collected for more than 20 years into the book "Spirit stones of China: The Ian and Susan Wilson Collection of Chinese Stones", which was beautifully printed in the form of ancient Chinese line-bound books, which also included the Qing Dynasty wood fossils.
On the occasion of Wilson's solo stone exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago, a reporter from Orientations, an English-language magazine for Asian art appreciation published in Hong Kong (published in the May 1999 issue), listed his priorities for the purchase of "literati stones" (he called "literati stones" "spirit stones": "four natural stones with quaint bases; three natural stones separated from the matrix rocks, with quaint bases; optimized stones, Highlighting its existing strengths, it features an elegant base, while carved modern stone with a new base. Obviously, this stone is its preferred "spirit stone", because it not only has the original (old) quaint rosewood seat, but also the stone surface is impressive.
As early as 1994, Liu Dan, a contemporary ink painter living in the United States, once made a photo album for this stone, "Xiao linglong twelve faces and postures" (11.2x23 cm), which was depicted from twelve angles and accompanied by calligraphic inscriptions. One stone has twelve faces, which is more than the "Ten-sided Lingbi Diagram" made by the Ming Dynasty painter Wu Bin for the Miwan zhongzang stone, which is unique. Perhaps, Liu Dan was influenced by Wu Bin's "Ten-Sided Spirit Bi Diagram" and created this creation.
Liu Dan's "Twelve Faces of Xiao Linglong" draws a page of stone
I once saw a photograph of the layout of wilson's home hall, and this square stone was placed on the desk against the wall, occupying the most important position. It can be seen that Wilson also has a special love for this stone. This square stone is actually very small, even a little inconspicuous (20 cm high, 9.5 cm wide, 6 cm thick), but the aura is very strong, indicating that it is indeed a good stone.
Ian Wilson's home is furnished
In his album inscription poem, the painter Liu Dan has clearly pointed out that this is a spiritual stone: "Weson (referring to Wilson) ... There is a Lingbi stone, although it is not tall, and Yongyong Mumu, the special one of things. "The preciousness of this stone is one of front and back, one of left and one of right, one of the top and one of heels, of the righteous of the odd, and of the virtue of the spirit." Shi Gao was dissatisfied with the ruler, and Wang Xiang was calm. After floating to the West, each is regarded as a child. Turning to the side of the Vientiane furniture, Gu Pan is accustomed to self-esteem. I would like to borrow the Wei Mansion and a Lingbi Sect. For some reason, however, Wilson identified it as a wood fossil (Orientations magazine described it as Pseudomorphic opal, or pseudocrystalline opal).
Liu Dan's "Xiao Linglong Twelve Faces and Gestures" calligraphy and painting hinges folded
In fact, what kind of stone this square stone is, the inscription on the lid of the original Tibetan stone rosewood box should provide reliable clues. However, this inscription has never been seen in its true form, so what the stone species is has become a mystery.
Until recently, a friend posted a picture in the WeChat circle of friends, which has an engraved rubbing of the lid of this hidden stone box, as well as several side photos of the stone, which comes from the "Xiangshan Tang's Xiaolinglong New Collection". This should have been a matter of the Republic of China. The Xiangshan Tang clan should point out that the famous and prestigious families from Xiangshan County, Guangdong (including present-day Zhongshan City, Zhuhai City, Macao Special Administrative Region, Guangzhou City, and parts of Foshan City), such as Tang Shaoyi, the first Prime Minister of the Republic of China, are Xiangshan people. It is impossible to check who the owner of Xiao linglong's new museum is, but its name is definitely related to this Qing Dynasty wood fossil, which can also be seen in the prosperity of the wind of tibetan stones at that time.
"Little Linglong" hidden stone box lid engraved rubbing
The lid of this square stone box is inscribed with rubbings, which is a line letter, and at the beginning, it is clearly pointed out: "This Song Pit Lingbi Stone also." "There are eight scenes respectively: Xiao Linglong Peak, Xiao Xi Yue, Wan Wat Peak, Hezhang Rock, Wulao Peak, Pearl Stream, Stacked Heavy Platform, Stratus Clouds, and the texture of the stone has a grimace, an axe splitting, cirrus cloud, etc., respectively. "It can be seen that it is indeed extraordinary. The last inscription reads: "This is the first stone of the heart in the Jai, because of the name of the Little Linglong Mountain Pavilion." It's a note. Ma Yuelu. ”
"Xiao Linglong" of "Xiao Xi Yue" (left) and "Xiao Linglong Peak" (right)
"Little Linglong" of "Hezhang Rock" (left) and "Wan Wat Peak" (right)
Ma Yuelu, a famous bibliophile in the early Qing Dynasty, and his brother Ma Yuezhen, collectively known as "Yangzhou Erma", was born in Qimen, Anhui, and later moved to Jiangdu (present-day Yangzhou), starting with the salt industry and becoming very rich. Both men have poetic names, corporals, generous and righteous, and well-known. The Ma brothers do have stone fetishes, such as the modern Xu Ke compilation of the "Qing Barnyard Bills", which has a "Ma Lingbi Stone hidden in the Ma Linggu", which tells the story of Ma Yue Zhen's hidden stone. Not only that, the name of the Ma Brothers Home Street South Book House and the library building "Little Linglong Mountain Pavilion" is also named after the stone.
However, according to the records, the so-called "Xiao Linglong" is a Taihu stone (its remnants still exist in the Guanshan Tower in the newly built Xiaolinglong Mountain Pavilion "Twelve Views" in Dongguan Street, Yangzhou, with the seal book "Yushan Gaohe" and the inscription "Xiaolinglongshanguan Ma's Qing offering" and "LinglongshanGuan" seals), ma Yuelu was clearly recorded in the "XiaolinglongshanGuan Atlas". However, the inscription content of this square stone and its box lid has not been documented, and the origin of the name of "Xiaolinglong Mountain Museum" is also very different from Ma Yuelu's "Xiaolinglong Mountain Museum". The two are small and large, the size is very different, if the two statements (stone) can only choose one, the answer is naturally self-evident.
Qing Dynasty Xiaolinglong Mountain Museum relics
But I have never understood why Wilson ignored the painter Liu Dan's giant eyes and the original stone box lid inscription - some people think that it is not like the Lingbi stone, and believe that this stone is a wood fossil. Whether this square stone is a spirit stone or not may also be a mystery.
Hui Shi Rong tong / Yu Ying