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stones in his 1967 book, How to Collect and Enjoy
Suiseki. He was opposed to modifying stones just to
add value and to deceive others. Instead, he advocated
that enhancing the beauty of stones should be accepted
to a certain degree. Saruta illustrated how to suspend a
stone in an acid bath to modify the surface of the stone.
This is another indication that some suiseki were being
produced by working the stone to varying degrees.
Further evidence that stones were being worked
extensively, and not just on the bottom, is obtained
from Tanaka Kouki’s book, Small Stones for Hobby:
from Searching to Appreciation, published in 1967.
Tanaka believed that polishing and processing stones
enhances and deepens the beauty that suiseki holds.
He included a chapter in his book to illustrate the tools
and materials used in modifying stones, as well as a
series of simple line drawings showing how to alter a
stone by removing portions to make it look more like
a natural mountain stone. Tanaka shows how to make
a lake in a mountain stone. Other line drawings show
how to make other types of suiseki.
The concept of removing parts of a stone to
improve its appearance was not limited to Tanaka’s
largely obscure book, but it was discussed by suiseki
leader Murata Keiji in his book, Encyclopedia of
Suiseki Hobby (1969). Murata wrote about the limits
of “worked out” stones by saying, “yes to removing
stone, but no to adding to the stone.” This was, in
effect, setting the limits to the level of working stones.
Further evidence to support this concept is found in an
essay in Matsuura and Yoshimura’s well known classic
work, An Overview of Japanese Suiseki Masterpieces
(1988). In describing suiseki, the authors wrote “As a
principle, no works are allowed. However, it has been
said that removing is acceptable, but no adding.”
Articles describing the different methods used
in stone enhancement were being replaced with The evidence that Japanese suiseki were enhanced Top; The authenticity of this
photographic essays of attractive stones. Published by altering stones, especially stones from the Ibi, Abe, nearly perfect mountain
works in the last two decades are largely silent on the Sajigawa and other rivers, is overwhelming. Despite shaped stone from the Kamo
matter of enhancements except to briefly state that it the fact that some Japanese suiseki enthusiasts did River was seriously questioned
a year after it was purchased.
was acceptable to alter the bottom of a stone. Matsuura’s not support the modification of stones, numerous It was sold as a natural stone
2010 English language book, An Introduction to articles were published in books and newsletters with only slight work on the
Suiseki, supported limited basal alterations. Matsuura showing how stones can be modified to appear more bottom; however, leading
emphasized and promoted Japanese suiseki as natural natural. The demand for attractive landscape stones Japanese suiseki specialists
stones in his lectures in North America and Europe. was great during the 1960s and 1970s, the peak of the said it was definitely “worked
out.” This is a very atypical
Kasahara Manabu, former chairman of the Nippon boom among hobbyists in stone appreciation in Japan. shape for a natural stone from
Suiseki Association, also stated in his book, Notes on Many of these pieces were so well-made that serious a fast flowing river.
Suiseki, published in 2013, that altering the bottom of collectors and even dealers could not tell the altered Bottom; This Kamo River stone
stones was acceptable. from the unaltered. The fact that no records were was displayed in the 1987
Even though the emphasis today in the West is kept of each of the worked stones as they passed from Taikan-ten in Kyoto and later
on natural stones, some worked stones are regularly stone carver to dealer to collector helped to obscure published in the catalog for
that exhibition. It is a beautiful
displayed in major exhibitions in Japan. A carefully the origin of each stone. Thus, it is time to dispense island or mountain stone that
examination of the stones in each of the major with the myth that Japanese suiseki are all natural was made by a single basal cut
displays will reveal several stones with bottom cuts. and recognize that a significant number of stones from a larger rock. This large
One example is a large Kamo River Mountain shaped held in collections and shown in exhibitions have stone was recognized as the
stone which was included in the 1987 Taikan-ten and been worked to some degree. Our findings blur the best mountain suiseki in the
World Bonsai Convention in
a photograph of it published in their display catalog distinction between rocks displayed as found objects Washington, D.C. in 2005.
for that year. Another example is the nearly perfect and a sculpted rock that is treated as an art object. The
suiseki, a two-peaked Saji River stone, exhibited in the lines between the collector and the artist evaporate in
3 Japan Suiseki Exhibition in Tokyo in 2016. regards to Japanese suiseki.
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