Tea table. Artistic stone carving. Material: duanyan stone (the short name of the stone is Duanshi, or stone from Duan, a mine in Guangdong Province).
Chinese stone carving is one of the oldest types of folk art, originated in the fifth millennium BC and grew into real art over time. The peculiarity of the Chinese carving is the "disclosure of the stone soul". The quaintness of the natural color of the stone and its natural form become a source of inspiration for the Chinese carver, the starting point in creating the plot of the future carving. Therefore, before starting work, the master first very carefully studies the stone in order to see its unique features. As a result of such joint creativity of man and nature, surprisingly live compositions are born. The threading process is very laborious, requires great experience and skill, the secrets of which are passed down from generation to generation.
The stone duanyan, from which the tea table is made, is highly valued in China. Since the VII century, it is used for the manufacture of inkstones. The natural texture of the stone is ideal for rubbing ink paste, and its layered color allows to create contrasting color patterns. Products from duanshi (the common name of this mineral is “stone from Duan”) of outstanding Chinese carvers are kept in museums and private collections.
