Bonsai and viewing stones are closely related art forms, each reflecting a deep respect for nature. While a bonsai is cultivated to evoke the qualities of a venerable old tree, a viewing stone is usually displayed to suggest an aspect of the natural landscape, such as a distant mountain or a waterfall. Thus, when these small-scale forms are viewed together in a complementary arrangement, the whole of nature can be imagined.Chrysanthemum Stone - Moon Night
National Bonsai Foundation
Gift from Nippon Suiseki Association to President Gerald Ford
Photo by Joe Mullan
Dwelling Stone
From Ciniru River Valley, Kunigan, West Java, Indonesia
Gift from Indonesian Suiseki Association
Photo by Joe Mullan
from the Metropolitan Museum of Art
by Lang Ying (1585-ca. 1664)
Abstract Suiseki
In the Earth Art Gallery
Photo by Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com; suiseki by Jim Broadhurst
Mountain Stone Suiseki
In the Earth Art Gallery
Photo by Andrew Alden, licensed to About.com; suiseki by Lance Plaza
From The Zymoglyphic Museum
Stars in Stone
The Ancestors' Land
by Primangelo Pondini
Interested in learning more?
Felix Rivera has a very nice Suiseki site
How fascinating! I'd never heard of viewing stones before. My favorite was The Ancestor's Land. Thanks for sharing these. :-)
ReplyDeleteThese scholar stones are fascinating to look at and wonder about, drawing you into the primal blocks of nature.
ReplyDeleteBut I must admit that I love just as much my black "worry" stone. I keep it in my studio and look at it from time to time to appreciate its being. The difference is that I often pick it up and rub it and that takes me to a deeper level of appreciation, a deeper connection.