I have been amassing a small collection of these extraordinarily meditative stones. This is one of the simplest and purest. The aesthetics of a scholar's rock is based on subtleties of color, shape, markings, surface, and sound. Prized qualities include: awkward or overhanging asymmetry resonance or ringing when struck representation or resemblance to mountainous landscapes, particularly these believed to be inhabited by immortal beings or figures texture moistness or glossy surface The stone may be displayed on a rosewood pedestal that has been carved specifically for the stone. The stones are a traditional subject of Chinese paintings.