Sounding Stone

Qi Baishi Chinese

Not on view

Sounding stones, usually of jade, which ring clear tones when struck, appear in depictions of Chinese ceremony since the Warring States period (475–221 B.C.). The stones are auspicious, as noted by Qi in his inscription on this painting; when spoken "jiqing" can mean both "auspicious" and "beat the sounding stone."

The graphic clarity of Qi's composition, the resonant meanings simply expressed and appealing color are qualities that made Qi's art much sought after, even in wartime Peking.

Sounding Stone, Qi Baishi (Chinese, 1864–1957), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, China

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.