This very basic introduction to Viewing Stones will provide the background information to help you get started. If you want more detail, try following our links to some other excellent pages. The main thrust of the site is the appreciation of stones as "viewing stones". This includes suiseki, biseki and scholar stones. However, we do not exclude any stones. Our membership includes people with many very different preferences.
Suiseki or Japanese viewing stones are usually representative. Stones are selected that represent:-
Landscapes
Mountains (distant or near),
Plateau, Waterfall (thread, sheet, dry), Mountain stream, Slope, Water Pool,
Shore (Coastal Cliff, Reef, Sandbar), Island, Shelter, Tunnel, Cave.
Recent additions to the formal landscapes include - Tropical island, Desert
stones.
Object or Likeness
Hut, Boat, Animal, Bird, Fish, Insect, Human and even Erotic!
Pattern
Abstract - Tiger Stripe,
Snake, Pit marked, Net.
Representative - Plant, Leaf (Maple, Pine etc) Bamboo, Grass, Flower (Chrysanthemum,
Japanese Plum Blossom etc) Fruit.
Weather - Lightning, Rain, Snow.
Celestial - Sun, Moon, Stars.
Stones which have been altered. Cut stones and polished stones fit into this category. At least one of our members is a great devotee of one particular type of biseki. These are carefully selected from thousands of ordinary tumbled stones for the pictures which they contain.
Following the Chinese tradition, the stones are generally abstract with sculptural qualities and tend more toward the vertical.
Viewing
Stone Display - Advice
and techniques for producing the perfect display.