<em>Tree</em>, early 19th century. Natural coral with wooden base, 30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass, 77.53. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.53_transp6085.jpg)

Tree, early 19th century. Natural coral with wooden base, 30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass, 77.53. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.53_transp6085.jpg)

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What makes it interesting to the museum curators?

The point of interest of this piece is that it is really representative of pieces known as "scholar objects". Or objects that scholars in China would place on their desks to use for meditative experiences, to get lost in thought. In East Asia, old trees are admired for their resilience and endurance. To the scholar who displayed this tree, it was a reminder of the wisdom that comes from experience.

Also, coral is a very valuable and beautiful material.

Coral is a hard material to work with and requires some practice and skill. The carver selected this piece for its form and shaped it to look more like a weathered tree. The finished piece was polished, too.

Tree

Asian Art

MEDIUM Natural coral with wooden base

Place Made: China

DATES early 19th century

DYNASTY Qing Dynasty

PERIOD Qing Dynasty

DIMENSIONS 30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm) Base: 3 x 8 1/2 x 7 1/4 in. (7.6 x 21.6 x 18.4 cm) (show scale)

COLLECTIONS Asian Art

ACCESSION NUMBER 77.53

CREDIT LINE Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

CAPTION Tree, early 19th century. Natural coral with wooden base, 30 1/8 x 13 3/8 x 7 1/4 in. (76.5 x 34 x 18.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Nat Bass, 77.53. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 77.53_transp6085.jpg)

IMAGE overall, 77.53_transp6085.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What makes it interesting to the museum curators?

Also, coral is a very valuable and beautiful material.