Following the success of the First International Symposium on Classical Chinese Gardens, the exhibition Permanence: Classical Chinese Stone Furniture for the Garden brings together an unprecedented exhibition of classical Chinese garden furniture to be seen for the first time in the United States. This exhibition of about 40 examples of rare and beautifully carved stone garden furniture from China - most dating from the Ming dynasty (1368-1644) -will become a landmark exhibition for Chinese stone furniture.

The Chinese garden was greatly appreciated by scholar-officials and literati as a refuge for solace and contemplation and at times for less formal gatherings. Early paintings depict figures using outdoor furniture often resembling more natural rock formations. During the Ming dynasty, considered the golden age for Chinese furniture, however, there was an emphasis on more refined outdoor furniture which also served to limit the need for movement of furniture outside during outdoor gatherings. Due to the durability of stone as material, and as stylistically they were often inspired by architecture and other wood furniture, these finely carved works are in some cases a few of the remaining examples of their type to have survived.

Stone benches such as Recessed-leg Bench with Bridle Joints imitate wooden carpentry techniques while others such as Pair of Cabriole Leg Rectangular Benches show more detailed and elaborate relief carving. Drum Stools, another common form of outdoor seating vary and range in technical virtuosity and in the intricacy of the carving. Some highlights are Pair of Drum Stools with Flora and Pair of Drum Stools with Interlocking Carving, each carved from one piece of stone. Other notable pieces are Rectangular Side Table with Cabriole Legs and Low Square Table with Stone Top. Other types of stone furniture included in the exhibition are flower stands, basins, as well as guardian lions.

Held in conjunction with New York's Asian Art Week, the exhibition recreates the peaceful tranquility of the traditional Chinese Garden and has been designed with the assistance of the well known set and interior stylist Carlos Mota. An extensive catalogue accompanies the exhibition, with a preface by Robert H. Ellsworth, and an essay by David Ake Sensabaugh, Curator of Asian Art at the Yale University Art Gallery.