This large chert sea coast stone resting on a stool might suggest a prehistoric giant snail. The density and diversity of surface features—punctures, scars, lineations, imprints, gougings—invite sustained contemplation.

This stone from Palos Verdes, California, is one of a series of stone and stool displays created by artist Paul A. Harris. His collection of these paired objects will be an integral part of a new exhibition, Interpreting the Natural: Contemporary Visions of Scholars’ Rocks, that will be held from September 20, 2026 through January 17, 2017, in Phoenix Hall of the Art Museum Complex in Duxbury, Massachusetts 02332.