Chinese scholar’s objects were, in a sense, the luxury goods of their time, but rather than wealth what they really represented was the physical embodiment of the scholar’s intellectual curiosity and aesthetic taste.
The tools of the scholar, the “four treasures” distinguishing him from the common tradesman, were those of writing-brush, inkstone, ink, and paper.
(excerpted from here)
Recommended Reading
Chinese Connoisseurship: The Ko Ku Yao Lun, The Essential Criteria of AntiquitiesChinese art: Textiles, glass and painting on glass, carvings in ivory and rhinoceros horn, carvings in hardstone, snuff bottles, inkcakes and inkstonesBamboo carving of ChinaThe Chinese Scholar's Studio: Artistic Life in the Late Ming PeriodArts from the Scholar's Studio. Catalogue of an Exhibition Presented by The Oriental Ceramic Society of Hong Kong and the Fung Ping Shan MuseumChinese Carved LacquerEXQUISITE WOOD CARVING - TRADITIONAL WOOD CARVING FROM FUJIANTrue To Form: A Celebration of the Art of the Chinese CraftsmanSecret world of the Forbidden City: Splendors from China's Imperial PalaceA Leisurely Pursuit: Splendid Hardwood Antiquities from the Liang Yi Collection'Elegant Offerings from the Scholar's Studio: The Jiansong Ge CollectionGems from the South: Traditional Crafts of Guangong ProvinceThe Four Treasures: Inside the Scholar's Studio (Arts of China)The Chinese Scholar's DeskChinese Jade: Selected Articles from OrientationsThe Arts of an Addiction: Qing Dynasty Opium Pipes and AccessoriesOpium Culture: The Art and Ritual of the Chinese TraditionA Passion for Asia: The Rockefeller LegacyModern Chinese Scholars' Rocks: A Guide for CollectorsThe art of opium antiquesBamboo in China: Arts, Crafts and a Cultural History (Discovering China)Spirit Stones: The Ancient Art of the Scholar's RockForbidden City: Imperial Treasures from the Palace Museum, BeijingCustodians of the Scholar's Way: Chinese Scholars' Objects in Precious WoodsSuperfluous Things: Material Culture and Social Status in Early Modern ChinaCollecting China: The Memoirs of a Hong Kong Art AddictRoom for Study: Fifty Scholars' ObjectsElegant Life of The Chinese Literati: From the Chinese Classic, 'Treatise on Superfluous Things', Finding Harmony and Joy in Everyday ObjectsBrushpots: A Collector's View (Chinese and English Edition)
