Suiseki

From BonsaiWIKI

Suiseki (水石); A Japanese word meaning "water stone". The name comes from the custom of displaying the stones a shallow trays of water called suiban. Hundreds of years ago the suiseki were collected stones from the ancient rivers, polished by the continual movement of water. These stones were displayed, along with bonsai, to complete a scene of a far-off mountain in the distance.

The only man-made improvement on a suiseki is sawing the bottom flat and bringing up the natural patina with mineral oil. Some people think that a stone should never be cut, but the verdict is still out.

Suiseki are part of a larger group made up of viewing stones and biseki.

The plural of "Suiseki" is also "Suiseki".

There are web sites devoted to suiseki. The best one to start with is the site by world reknown Felix Reviera. Felix lives in the S.F. Bay area, and belongs to the San Francisco Suiseki Society. They have a yearly show at the Lakeside Garden Center, in Oakland California in the spring. It is worth a looksee; you won't be disappointed.

See Also

Check out bonsaiTALK's Suiseki Link Page for links to Felix's site as well as other links about suiseki collecting, display and dai.

Contributions by Al Keppler, Matt Chroust