Stephen Little, Ph.D., Curator of Chinese and Korean Art at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, will lecture on the role of guai shi, or “strange stones,” in Chinese culture and art.

According to legend, stones have been revered in China since remote antiquity when they were presented as tribute to Emperor Yu, a mythical sage–ruler. Stones were prized and collected for display in gardens and probably interiors from the Han dynasty onward, and by the Tang dynasty (618–906) a true literature of stones had appeared. The tradition of stone collecting, which was to find its ultimate expression during the late Ming dynasty (1368–1644), focused on stones as representations of the universe in miniature or, more precisely, the inchoate energies that created the universe.

Featuring a silent auction, including objects of Asian interest, and lunch with fine wine, the annual Heritage Luncheon is the major fundraising event for the Museum's Asian Arts Council.