Hand-Carved Tigerman Tapered Puddingstone Basin

A clean-lined interpretation of an ancient form, this tapered basin was hand-carved by artisans in China's Shandong province. The basin looks meticulously painted, but the mesmerizing pattern of the puddingstone is inherent to the stone, a material quarried in the Liaoning region of China and prized by scholars for its exceptional patterning. Puddingstone was the preferred material for traditional calligraphy tables, not only for the way it looks but also due to the density of the surface it offers for painting. The weight, form, and patterning create an intriguingly beautiful object that calls to be touched.