Suiseki 水石
Sansui Keiseki
The meaning of appreciating a landscape shaped stone.
"It is not a silly thing at all to enjoy a stone in a tray. I see the whole world in a tiny stone. Some objects in this world are huge, and others are small, and they come in all shapes, but they are not that different when you look at their essence" (Hideo Marushima (b. 1934 -).
New Home for a million year old stone.
(with a natural image resembling a pine tree on a hill or mountain)
When I found this mysterious almost 3 Kg. green and orange stone (18 x 15 x 10 cm) with a flat bottom this morning in car boot who would have thought I would that same day be reading and learning about Japanese Empress Suiko who lived and reigned AD. 554-826 who received objects like this as precious gifts from Chinese visiting rulers: naturally formed stones resembling landscapes (or animals).
And that i would read about Jade, because that is what the stone is made of: nephrite or jadeite: Ca2(Mg,Fe)52 and about Japanese culture and about Zen. The specifique colours and structure of the stone probably make it possible to pin point its origin. It can be seen the stone has been carefully preserved: small natural cracks or veins (impurities ?) have been filled with a perfectly matching orange substance only visible with a magnifying glass.
Since Empress Suiko's times landscapes stones have been assimilated in Japanese culture: Bonzai stones, philosophers stones. Placed in a bowl of water, or in a pottery bowl filled with sand, or resting in an individually carved wooden "daiza" which is a special and honourable Japanese arts & crafts profession.
It would go too far and beyond the intention of this humble Blog to publish an essay on Suiseki history or on daiza carving. The interested reader or visitor can find all what there is to know in the Internet. All about this mysterious and simple world of
enjoying what was already there.
Which is of of course: the perfect synonym for:
Happines.
How did this ancient stone travel from Japan (Korea or China) to the Netherlands? Where did stay and rest and with whom? Who appreciated it probably many generations before our times? Which river polished it for probably hundreds of thousands of years rolling it slowly towards the ocean? Who picked it up and where is its Daiza (companion pedestal)? Did I find the stone or did the stone find me
Obviously the stone already woke the philosopher in me.
If you think you may have an answer to one of the above questions: please email.
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All pictures borrowed freely from the Internet for friendly, educational and non commercial use only.
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