Arkivism
Landscape
CC0 · no rights reserved

Landscape

1644–1911 · soapstone

From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.

About this work

A mountain scenery surrounded by water and fish is meticulously carved out of soapstone, with a pond, bridge, waterfall, and temple front in its center. The unidentified figure scene on the left includes an ox and a man wearing what appears to be a Korean hat. A Buddha figure hidden in the depth of the temple can be glimpsed from the backside. The inscribed pillar on the right reads “Stonegate Cave to Heaven ( shimen dongtian )”. Indentations all over the stone suggest that the miniature mountain was once adorned with precious stones and metal, presumably representing an earthly paradise to which one could escape in one’s mind and imagination.

Cleveland Museum of Art’s own description
Credit lineLandscape (石雕山水人物山子), 1644–1911. China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Soapstone; overall: 15.3 x 22.3 x 9.6 cm (6 x 8 3/4 x 3 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Worcester R. Warner Collection, 1917.25

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