by George Buehler

I know a lot of bonsai people also are "rock" (also called Suiseki, Gongshi, or Suseok) collectors. I never understood why the two came together. At a bonsai convention I attended, I watched a workshop by Sean Smith on making daiza for stones. Since I also do woodworking as an additional hobby (believe it or not, I do have other interests than bonsai), I thought it was neat how Sean could make a beautiful wood stand for something as simple as rocks and how they complimented each other. I put in the back of my mind that someday I would investigate the 'rules' of suiseki. It stayed in the back of my mind until recently in the Lake Charles Bonsai Society newsletter the editor published a summary of a speech on suiseki. In reading that article I decided to do some research to learn a little more about this hobby. It seems that a lot more is involved in this hobby than I had originally thought. The following is some information I found and I hope it will give you a better understanding of this hobby. A lot of the following information was written by Michael Reilly on his voluminous web site Suiseki. Com and I have reformatted it for presentation here- ED.

HISTORY OF SUISEKI
In China, viewing stones (scholars' rocks and spirit stones known by the Chinese as "Gongshi") have been an art of appreciation for over a thousand years. During the Tang dynasty (618-907AD), it was said that a garden could not be beautiful without such rocks, and that a studio lacked elegance without gongshi. They were transported to Japan and Korea and presented as fine tributes.

Dating back to the Han Dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), Chinese religious and aesthetic interest in collecting rocks was first based on decorating their courtyards and gardens. Evolving from the appreciation of larger garden rocks was "Scholars rocks," smaller stones appreciated for the ability to carry them and to display them indoors - for meditation and beauty.

The garden rock displays represented paradises known as Penglai, or the Eastern Isle of the Immortals. These paradises were perceived to be three or more mountains isolated in the Eastern Sea - Fanghu, Yingzhou, and Penglai, tall and craggy isolated peaks - accessible havens to the immortals but not to mere humans. A mystical place of beauty and wonder, which later became part of Daoist tradition.

Like the Pengali paradises, today's garden rocks are often displayed alone or grouped to represent a mountain range or sometimes a one specific mountain. Most garden rocks are shades of white or gray, and can be as tall as twenty feet high from their base, extremely weathered and worn.

Scholars' Rocks are smaller than garden rocks and are selected for more refined qualities, small enough to rest on a table. Sizes vary from miniature stones of about one inch to four or five feet in height. Scholars brought these portable mountains into their studios and used them for meditation and contemplation. Some were used as brush rests, censors or seals - but the majority were viewed as artistic treasures. The most highly regarded rocks were of limestone that "emitted a bell-like ring when struck."

Scholars' Rocks are usually displayed in carved wood stands, and the stands themselves are often works of art as well, with stylistic or symbolic images in great detail. The most highly sought stones in China are black Lingbishi and slate gray Yingshi.

Scholars' Rocks vary from white, yellow, red or black -- the most prized color. During the Ming and Qing periods (1368-1911) marble, malachite, turquoise, yellow quartz, soapstone and became popular with collectors for their colorful appearance.

These rocks represented a focus for meditation and religious or philosophic principles to the Chinese scholars. They were an inspiration for contemplation prior to painting or writing. Most rocks resembled mountains and natural wonders of the world; and many represented people, animals, and mythical creatures. And foremost, they appreciated "surfaces that suggest great age, forceful profiles that evoke the grandeur of nature, overlapping layers or planes that impart depth, and hollows or perforations that create rhythmic, harmonious patterns."

Korean appreciation for Suseok, began around 100 BC - 1300 AD, when these stones were first introduced from China with Taoism. The preferred styles were upright stones that contained perforations and grooves on their surface, and preference continued during the middle period of Korean history from 1300-1950.

As in Japan, Korean cultural changes during this time caused collectors to turn toward more "subdued" specimens. Suseok collecting increased after the Korean war (1950-1953), but the recent closing of many prime collecting areas has seen a decrease in the number of collectors.

Unlike the Japanese stones that are sometimes cut or altered, Koreans do not allow any alteration to their Suseok, preferring to retain the purity of their stones. Rather than cutting uneven stones for a flat bottom, these stones are displayed in deep suiban (ceramic containers filled with sand or water) or a more deeply carved daezwa or zwadae (carved wood display stands) to hide more of the stone. These Korean stands are unique and compliment the stone with their phenomenal flowing lines that merge into the feet of the stand, making Korean Suseok a beautiful and distinct form of this art of stone appreciation.

Following is a list of some collecting sites in Korea that are especially well-known or famous with suseok collectors.

- Kyunghokaang. This river comes from a small stream that brings stones from Zirisan, a mountain famous for its suseok.
- Namhankaang. The Namhan river is the most important and famous collecting site in Korea. All shapes of stones can be found there. Many have good texture, and it is possible to find many shapes in a single stone. Most notable are stones with depressions, furrows, tunnels, arches and peaks.
- Seasides. Korean coastlines have many places where collecting suseok is possible. The southeastern coast of the Korean Peninsula is the most popular.
- Taewhakang. The Taewha river is notable for its green-colored stones.
- Yungkaang. The Yung river is another famous site.
- Zirisan. Ziri Mountain. A mountain famous for its suseok.

Between 592-628, the Japanese Empress Regent Suiko received the first Penjing and Gongshi from the Chinese imperial court. Magically shaped with holes, hollows and highly eroded surfaces, they were very interesting to the Japanese aristocracy. These vertical stones, representative of the imposing mountains and cliffs of China, remained popular in Japan for hundreds of years.

The samurai warrior class rose to power in Japan during the Kamakura period (1183-1333), and trade between China and Japan had brought the teachings of Zen Buddhism which won wide acceptance with the samurai. With the acceptance of Zen Buddhism, stones with more subtle lines became highly sought - in keeping with the Buddhist teachings of austerity, intuitive insight and meditation.

During the Muramachi period (1338-1573), Zen monks influenced the Japanese aristocracy and sought stones that were simple with subtle details, in line with these teachings -- stones that were suggestive rather than precise. These stones became a means to spiritual refinement, inner awareness, and enlightenment.

The rise of wealthy merchants during The Edo period (1603-1867) saw increased interest in Suiseki and there began a competition for these stones between the aristocracy and merchants. At this time, Japan had closed their borders to the outside world, bringing a period of isolation that allowed their arts to flourish without outside interference.

Due to a decrease in wealth of the nobility and the samurai during the Meiji period (1868-1912), the art remained somewhat stagnant in many ways. But this period also saw the development of Suiseki classifications still in use today.

Thereafter, interest in Suiseki has renewed and expanded throughout the twentieth century, and has grown into a multi-cultural art in the international community with widespread interest with Suiseki associations throughout the world.

SUISEKI CLASIFICATION

Suiseki can be classified by: shape, color, surface pattern, and place of origin

SHAPE
Scenic Landscape Stones - with 20 separate sub categories such as mountain, waterfall, plateau, slope, or shore stones.
Object Stones - with 9 sub categories such as house-shaped, boat shaped, animal-shaped stones.

COLOR
Black, Red, Blue, Purple, Yellow, and Five-color stones

SURFACE PATTERN
Plant-pattern (6 sub patterns), Celestial-pattern (3 sub patterns), Weather-pattern (3 sub patterns), Abstract-pattern (5 sub patterns), and Desert-pattern (4 sub patterns)

Where To Collect Viewing Stones
Viewing stones can be collected nearly everywhere: shorelines, and river beds, mountains, fields, valleys, and the list goes on. Some of the best stones can be found under these natural conditions:

• where erosion is most intense
• very high winds
• continuously blowing sand
• deep ravines
• mid-sections of fast-moving mountain creeks
• banks and in the water of fast-moving mountain creeks
• powerful torrents of water

PREPARING THE STONE FOR EXHIBIT

CLEANING - After a stone is found, the first thing to do is to clean the stone. Ideally, the stone should be initially cleaned where it is collected. Use a hard bristled brush to clean off any mud or slime. Once the stone has arrived at your home, it can be washed with a high pressure water stream. When all the visible dirt is removed, it should be placed in a plastic bucket filled with water. A few drops of soap are added and the stone is allowed to soak for 15 to 20 minutes, and then scrubbed with a plastic bristled brush, toothbrush or similar brush. Discard the dirty water, flush the stone with clean water, and repeat the process with more soap and water. Periodically check the stone to ensure that it is not being damaged by the brushes. When all dirt has been removed, wash the stone with fresh water and allow it to dry.

ACID TREATING - Sometimes there will remain stains or embedded material on the stone after persistent scrubbing with soap and water. The stone can be washed with bleach or with proper precautions with a stronger acid such as formic acid. [NOTE: extreme caution should be used if a stronger acid is used. Additionally, proper safety equipment should be used such as safety glasses, rubber gloves, etc.]. A plastic bucket should be filled with water, the bleach/acid should be added slowly, and then thoroughly mixed. Before putting any of the diluted acid on the stone, a few drops should be placed on a part of the stone that will not be visible [certain types of stone will be dissolved by the acid]. Using a non metallic brush, GENTLY and CAUTIOUSLY brush the stone [brush away from you]. After brushing the stone with acid, place it in a clean plastic bucket filled with water. After any bubbles are evolved, add a small amount of baking soda to neutralize the acid. Let the stone soak for about 30 minutes, and then repeat the washing with soap and water followed by flushing the stone with plenty of fresh water.

DRYING - After cleaning, the stone has to dry. Most stones are porous and a large amount of water may remain in the stone. The wet stone can be dried in the sunshine, or with a hairdryer. As the outer surface is dried, water from the interior will migrate to the outside and the stone will feel wet again. It may take two weeks or more for the stone to completely dry out. If the stone is placed in a 250 degree oven, it should stay there for about 15 minutes, brought out of the oven to cool to room temperature, and then placed back in the oven for an additional 15 minutes. If the stone is placed in the oven for to long a time, the expanding water within the stone may cause the stone to split.

FLATTENING STONE - The stone doesn't necessarily have to have a flat bottom. However, a flat bottom allows for easier construction of a daiza or to sit directly on a tabletop. Stones can be cut with a motor saw using a special saw blade, a buffing wheel or with a hammer and chisel. The motorized equipment gives the smoothest flat surface, but is more dangerous than using a hammer and chisel. With a hammer and chisel, the stone should be cushioned on a sandbag or similar and clamped securely to hold the stone in place. After determining the bottom of the stone, start near the edge of the stone and take small 'bites' off of the stone until the desired flatness is obtained. The ragged edges can be smoothed using wet and dry sandpaper. Note that sanding will take considerable time and will not work on some type of stones.

DEVELOPING A PATINA - most exhibited stones have a glossy appearance called patina. For stones having a smooth surface, glycerin, olive oil or mineral oil can be applied using a soft cloth. After rubbing the stone with the oil, it should be allowed to dry in the sun, away from rain or dew. The stone will adsorb the oil and the rubbing will have to be repeated a number of times until a sheen is obtained. The oils can also be mixed with a small amount of baby powder which seems to speed up the process of developing the patina. A slower method of developing the patina is to leave the stone covered with distilled water, and rub it weekly with a soft cloth.

Most stones are placed on a daiza for exhibition.