This wax stone was in the collection of Huang Jiu Wei, a well-known stone collector and bonsai artist, from Guangzhou, China before it was presented to Thomas Elias. Huang and Elias became good friends while working together on many bonsai and stone related projects over several years. This completely natural stone is 11.5 cm wide, 12.5 cm high and 7.2 cm deep. The beautifully carved, intricate base has a a flower and bamboo motif. This stone was named “Friendship” in recognition of friendship that developed between these two stone connoisseurs.

Wax stones from southern China have been collected and appreciated for their aesthetic qualities for several hundred years due to their lustrous wax-like appearance and a variety of fascinating shapes and surface texture patterns. The stones are hard because of their high silica dioxide content and range from yellow, yellowish-brown, or red, to almost black.