Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation. Vincent T. Covello

the seventeenth century one of the best-known collectors of miniature landscape stones was Emperor Go-Mizuno’o (1596-1680). In addition to being an avid collector, he is believed to have played a major role in introducing the practice of using low-rimmed oval or rectangular trays for the display of stones. Until his time, stones were customarily set in a high-rimmed (about 2 in.), black-lacquered oval tray.

      Fig 6. A formal display of a simple, quiet stone in the alcove of a Japanese tea ceremony hut.

      During the Edo period (1603-1867) the development of the art of suiseki was associated with the rise of wealthy merchants and townspeople, who competed with the aristocracy for the best stones. The growth of the art was also closely associated with the Bunjin, or literati, school of painting, which flourished during the Edo period. Members of this school, mainly classical scholars who followed Chinese models, freely expressed poetic sentiments through their light wash paintings of mountain landscapes. Many of the stones collected by literati painters, such as Rai San’yo (1780-1832), have been passed down from generation to generation as prized treasures and exist in collections today (see Fig. 3).

      Early in the Meiji era (1868-1912) there was a brief period during which the development of the art of suiseki came to a virtual standstill. The wealth of the nobility and the samurai had declined, and the merchant classes had turned their attention to other art forms. By the turn of the century, however, the popularity of suiseki had revived, reaching an all-time high in the latter half of the twentieth century. Since 1961, for example, the Japanese Suiseki Association., in collaboration with the Japanese Bonsai Association, has sponsored annual exhibitions of suiseki in Tokyo. At Japan’s twenty-first national exhibition in 1981, 119 suiseki were exhibited, including 2 from the United States. To promote the appreciation and understanding of suiseki, several international exhibitions have also been held: the first at Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, in conjunction with the 1964 Tokyo Olympics; and subsequent ones at the Expo ‘70 Commemorative Park in Osaka, Japan. At the 1981 Osaka International Exhibition, suiseki collectors from around the world submitted photographic entries. The international status of the art was further enhanced in 1976 when the Japanese people presented six priceless suiseki to the United States as part of their Bicentennial gift. These stones are on permanent exhibit at the U.S. National Arboretum in Washington D.C. (Fig. 34).

      Footnote

7 Toshitsuna Tachibana, Sakuteiki: The Book of Gardens, trans. Shigemaru Shimoyama (Tokyo: Town and City Planners, 1976).

      CHAPTER 2

       Characteristics and Aesthetic Qualities

      Apart from the suiseki’s aesthetic qualities, the collector is initially concerned with the size and hardness of the stone. The test for size is only approximate: the stone should be larger than a jewel or pendant but not too heavy for a person of average strength to lift. Anything larger is considered to be an outdoor garden stone (niwa-ishi). Miniature suiseki—stones smaller than 3 inches high and 3 to 4 inches wide—are seldom less than 1½ inches high (Fig. 35); large suiseki are rarely more than 12 inches high, 24 inches long, and 12 inches wide. Within this range of sizes the most valuable stones are those that are hard and firm. Soft and lightweight volcanic or sedimentary stones have traditionally not been used, although in recent years they have gained in popularity.

      Having selected a stone of appropriate size and hardness, the collector is primarily concerned with the stone’s aesthetic qualities. Does the stone have an interesting color, patina, and texture? Is the shape balanced and harmonious? Are there obvious faults or structural defects? Does the stone suggest a distant peak, an island, or some other object associated with nature? What emotion does the stone arouse? Is it one of tranquillity and serenity or one of striving and anxiety?

      By asking these questions, the collector is seeking information about three interrelated aesthetic qualities common to nearly all traditional suiseki: suggestiveness, subdued color, and balance. The collector is also judging whether the stone possesses wabi, sabi, shibui, and yugen—four closely related Japanese aesthetic concepts with no direct English equivalents. Their meanings will be discussed later in this chaper.

      Fig 7. Near-view mountain stone. The shape of the stone suggests the mountain scenery shown in Figure 36. Height: approx. 4 inches (10 cm.). Place of origin: United States (California).

SUGGESTIVENESS

      The beauty of a suiseki is derived, in part, from the power of the stone to suggest a scene or object (Figs. 7, 36). For centuries collectors have searched for stones that excite the imagination. Prior to the nineteeth century the most admired stones were those that suggested a mountain set in a lake, or an island in the sea. By the twentieth century, however, Japanese tastes had changed, and virtually any naturally formed stone that suggested a natural scene or an object associated with nature could be given serious consideration.

      The suggestive possibilities of suiseki are almost limitless. The stone can transport the viewer to a lonely, abandoned thatched hut by the sea, or to a world of snow-covered mountains, hidden valleys, alpine meadows, austere mountain passes, desert plateaus, cascading waterfalls, windswept islands, hermit caves, clear mountain lakes, or storm-battered cliffs. Alternatively, the viewer may see the beauty of a delicate flower eternally frozen in the stone.

      Today, as in the past, suiseki are often given names which express the suggestive qualities of the stone. The names of some well-known Japanese stones are “Snow-Covered Cottage,” “Moon over the Rice Paddies,” and “Twilight Clouds.” Suiseki are also frequently given names that express a poetic or emotional sentiment, such as “Stillness” and “Elegance.” The name given to a suiseki may, in addition, evoke literary, musical, artistic, philosophical, mythological, or religious associations. Some illustrative names of American suiseki, for example, are “Mona Lisa,” “Shangrila,” and “Four Seasons.”

      Paradoxically, it is often the case that the simpler the stone, the greater its richness and expressive possibilities. The highest-quality suiseki are not exact copies of natural objects; in accordance with the Zen-related preference for simplicity, the best stones capture the essence of the object in only a few simple gestures. By presenting only a suggestion of the object, by expressing more with less, such stones stimulate and challenge the imagination, enticing the viewer to complete the picture.

      Suggestion, being both ambiguous and subjective, depends in large part on the willingness of the viewer to admit a deeper beauty in the stone. Drawing on each individual’s unique experience and ability to go beyond literal facts, a single stone can evoke a variety of associations, interpretations, and responses (Fig. 37).

SUBDUED COLOR

      The color of most traditional suiseki is somber and subdued. Stones of deep color—especially black, gray, or the more subdued shades of brown, green, blue, yellow, red, and purple—are generally preferred to those that are light in color. Crystals and stones that are pure white have traditionally not been selected. Most collectors feel that crystals have a superficial charm that is distracting, and that pure-white stones lack character, interest, and depth.

      Color is a vital element in the suggestive power of a suiseki. The color of a stone may evoke the image of the first green tender leaves of spring, the blue of a crystal-clear day in the mountains, the scarlet and crimson colors of autumn leaves, the soft gray of a morning mist, the pastel colors of the breaking dawn, or the pale pink color of a winter twilight reflected on a mountain glacier.

      The most prized suiseki are those that possess a blend of subtle colors. The colors arise from deep within the stone, as if illuminated by a hidden light source. Each color veils the one beneath, creating an effect of age and mystery.

      The beauty of a stone can be considerably enhanced by a subtle patina, and by deep patches of green or black suggesting cliffs and caves.