Nature

Scenes with landscapes or mountains with dwellings or other architectural structures set in nature are common subjects in the Chinese aesthetic, and such scenes are closely related to scholarly beliefs and the scholar’s way of life. The three main Chinese belief systems —Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism—each stressed the critical nature of man’s oneness with nature: Taoism asserts that harmony in life can only be achieved if the energy of each individual is in tune with the greater cosmos through encounters with nature (Albert); in his Analects, Confucius claims that “the wise take pleasure in rivers and lakes, the virtuous in mountains” and that nature is moral and capable of giving instruction; while Buddhists believe “one could find in nature, especially in mountains, the serenity and peace needed to attain a more enlightened frame of mind. Buddhist temples and retreats were built in mountains so that followers could be at one with nature.” (Pei, p. 107) Interesting rocks, gardens, and mountain landscapes were special objects for a scholar’s contemplation, and they were depicted not only on utilitarian objects such as paperweights and brush rests but were also appreciated as objects of beauty and meditation, especially if their form were similar to or resembled a sacred mountain or they were believed to contain special energy. Scholar-officials relied on spiritual teachings to seek the solace of the quiet, contemplative, and reclusive life removed from the distracting and frenetic life of an official and surrounded themselves with articles that re-enforced that spiritualism.

Sources
Terese Tse Bartholomew, Hidden Meanings in Chinese Art, Hong Kong. The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco, 2006.
Fang Jing Pei,  Treasures of the Chinese Scholar, New York, Weatherhill, 1977.
Patricia Bjaaland Welch, Chinese Art: A Guide to Motifs and Visual Imagery, Singapore, Tuttle publishing, 2008.