Viewing Stones (and be sure to visit our friends at vsana.org)

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Adventures in Appreciation

by Kemin Hu

One of the foremost experts on Chinese scholars’ stones discusses lessons learned over a lifetime of collecting and researching, revealing a depth and complexity of stone appreciation not touched upon in other publications. These perspectives are ultimately employed in the investigation of a stone possibly first collected in 120 BCE, during the reign of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty.

144 pp, 8.5 x 11, Hard
120 color photos
East Asian art & culture / Stone appreciation
ISBN: 978-1-891640-61-5
$50.00

The Story of Stone Flowers

by Thomas S. Elias and Hiromi Nakaoji

The first comprehensive work in English on the rare and highly prized chrysanthemum stones, including the geology of their formation, the history of their appreciation, and their various types, forms, and places of origin.

152 pp, 7 x 10, Soft
140 Color photos, maps, glossary, bibliography
East Asian art & culture / Stone appreciation / Mineralogy
ISBN: 978-1-891640-59-9
$29.95

A Guide for Collectors

by Kemin Hu

Introduces over 50 stone types, including mineral compositions, colors, hardness, where they are quarried, and the qualities for which they are valued, written for the novice or experienced stone connoisseur.

144 pp, 7 x 10, Soft
150 full-color illustrations, bibliography, notes
Chinese art & culture
ISBN: 978-1-891640-34-6
$29.95

A Contemporary Perspective

by Thomas S. Elias

A fabulous array of beautiful and unusual stones from a diverse group of collectors, demonstrating not only the richness and diversity of the continent's geological resources but also the vibrancy and enthusiasm of the North American collecting community, by the former director of the U.S. National Arboretum and founder of the Viewing Stone Association of North America.

160 pp, 8.5 x 11, Hard
166 Color photos, stone judging criteria
ISBN: 978-1-891640-72-8
$50.00

A Commentary and Synopsis

by Edward H. Schafer

This 12th-century catalogue is the first whole work in Chinese literature devoted to the subject of stones as objects of aesthetic merit.

128 pp, 6 x 9, Soft
Chinese art / Collectibles
ISBN: 978-1-891640-15-5
$40.00

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