The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of June 24, 2025
Prunus Wood
1700–1899
Location: not on view
Description
The gnarled and twisted form of a prunus stump is carved to accentuate its naturally textured surface. The body is finely polished to create a lustrous patina. Simple wood carvings like this exemplify the Chinese scholars’ taste for natural forms and rustic materials, which in turn reflect the desire to retreat into nature. They were collected and displayed as decorative works of art in the traditional scholars’ studios.- before 1981–?Dr. Sherman E. Lee [1918–2008], Cleveland, OH?–2015(Kaikodo America Inc., New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)2015–The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
- Williams, Marjorie. Chinese Painting--an Escape from the "Dusty" World. Cleveland, OH: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 1981. fig. 51
- Chinese Paintings: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-April 5, 1981).
- {{cite web|title=Prunus Wood|url=false|author=|year=1700–1899|access-date=24 June 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2015.66