Pebble

220
Pebble with a Scene from the Life of Lao-tse
China; Qing dynasty; 18th-19th c.

The master orbicularly depicted a scene from the life of Lao-tse, founder of Taoism who, after many years dedicated to a scholarly life, disappeared in a boat carried by waves into a deep river canyon. He and his suite in the boat can be discerned approaching a pagoda and a peach tree, symbols of longevity. The waves in the lower part of the pebble merge with the waterfall among the crags on the reverse side.