Artist's Conk
The artist's conk fungus (Ganoderma applanatum) gets its common name from the fact that one can “draw” on it: dark lines appear when the white underside is scratched, revealing the underlying tissue. Since it is a cosmopolitan fungus, many different cultures have taken advantage of this unusual feature. In China, G. applanatum is called shu-she-ling-zhi (树舌灵芝), and is thought to have potent medical properties. It is known in Japan as kofuki-saru-no-koshikake (コフキサルノコシカケ), literally "powder-covered monkey's bench." We have no information on the age or provenance of this particular specimen; however, it depicts a finely-rendered horse, outfitted in the style of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD).
5” x 9”
The artist's conk fungus (Ganoderma applanatum) gets its common name from the fact that one can “draw” on it: dark lines appear when the white underside is scratched, revealing the underlying tissue. Since it is a cosmopolitan fungus, many different cultures have taken advantage of this unusual feature. In China, G. applanatum is called shu-she-ling-zhi (树舌灵芝), and is thought to have potent medical properties. It is known in Japan as kofuki-saru-no-koshikake (コフキサルノコシカケ), literally "powder-covered monkey's bench." We have no information on the age or provenance of this particular specimen; however, it depicts a finely-rendered horse, outfitted in the style of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD).
5” x 9”
The artist's conk fungus (Ganoderma applanatum) gets its common name from the fact that one can “draw” on it: dark lines appear when the white underside is scratched, revealing the underlying tissue. Since it is a cosmopolitan fungus, many different cultures have taken advantage of this unusual feature. In China, G. applanatum is called shu-she-ling-zhi (树舌灵芝), and is thought to have potent medical properties. It is known in Japan as kofuki-saru-no-koshikake (コフキサルノコシカケ), literally "powder-covered monkey's bench." We have no information on the age or provenance of this particular specimen; however, it depicts a finely-rendered horse, outfitted in the style of the Song Dynasty (960–1279 AD).
5” x 9”