about suiseki

Suiseki; A Japanese word meaning "water stone". The name comes from the custom of displaying the stones in a tray of water. Hundreds of years ago the Suiseki were collected from the ancient rivers, polished by the continual movement of water. These stones were displayed, along with bonsai, To complete a vision of a far off mountain in the background.

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.

The plural of "Suiseki" is also "Suiseki"

Suiseki should be displayed on a "dai," a carved piece of wood, or a "suiban", a bonsai tray with no holes filled with sand or water. The dai and the suiban should be displayed on a bonsai stand.

The dai should complement the stone and not take away from its beauty. The same way that a fine pot can bring out the beauty in a bonsai, so can a well carved dai. Traditionally, the stand that the stone/dai sit on should be of another type of wood to add variety.

Suiseki are and are frequently displayed together with bonsai and make great accents.

One reason to cut stones is that it provides a flat surface to work with to make it easier to construct a suitable dai.

It is a simple matter to get a very precise outline of the stone transferred to the wood. I use a router to remove the wood under the stone. I use a 3/16 flat bit to trace the outline and then change to a 1/2 inch flat bit to remove the inner area. If you do not use a router or power tools for that matter or are not comfortable using them, then you will have to carve out your base.

Some people put their stone on the wood in a fairly dark place and shine a flashlight or light source from overhead and trace the outline. this will not be as accurate but it will give you a fairly good starting point. As far as the stone looking better it does not make that much difference, since at the end you still have a stone sitting in a wooden base. The only difference is that you can get the base on a cut stone thinner than on a base that you have to carve for an irregular bottomed stone. By the rule of thirds, this is easier to achieve with a cut stone.

Western collectors of Suiseki have taken to American rivers and the western deserts to find stones of uncompromising beauty. The Eel river, Russian river area of northern Calif. has yielded some great stones. Harry Hirao has prized dozens of beauty's from the eel river. Some of his Suiseki have been donated to the National Arboretum in Washington D.C. Death Valley has also yielded some great stones, polished smooth by the high winds blowing scouring sand.

For collecting, river areas are best. Rushing water and fairly downstream for the most eroded and polished stones. Volcanic areas are conducive to good stones. The ring of fire happens to be on the Pacific Ocean, and not the Atlantic, but.. there are good volcanic areas around the Mediterranean.

Stones that have been altered by man i.e.; grinding, polishing, dyeing, or cutting except for the bottom, are called "biseki". This means "pretty stone." A chrysanthemum stone would be an example of a biseki. These stones are ground to expose the azurite flower patterns that have made these stones famous. If you can find a "Chrissie", or "plum blossom stone," buy it up, as these stones are now protected in China and are not being exported.

Stones are cut for various reasons.

Some stones would be simply too large to use as viewing stones. Other stones are cut to make the construction of a dai of suitable proportions easier.

The issue of whether to cut a stone and whether a cut stone is in fact a Suiseki or simply a pretty stone is a topic of much contention.

In the end, whether the stone is cut or uncut, you still have a stone sitting in a wooden base. The only difference is that you can get the base on a cut stone thinner than on a base that you have to carve for an irregular bottomed stone. By the rule of thirds, this is easier to achieve with a cut stone.

You split a diamond, but you cut a Suiseki.

For cutting small stones up to 3 inches or 60mm, you could use a dry diamond saw blade in a circular saw. Clamp the stone to a table with a wet rag around the stone under the clamp, so as not to scar it. Then cut away. This works if you are handy. If you are not, then check in the "yellow pages" (I don't know if they have them in the UK) under "lapidary" and maybe they could turn you on to someone that may be able to cut it for you.

If it's a really big stone, then get out the yellow pages again and look for graveyard monument craftsmen. They have the continuous, diamond-coated wire type saws that can cut the really big ones.
Some of the Chinese stone vendors seen at our conventions will have a lot of biseki that have been altered either by grinding or cutting. These type of stones often have a varnish on them to bring out the details. I stay away from these type stones. That's just me. I have seen some real unique stones though.