Page 36 - Tạp chí bonsai cây cảnh BCI 2017Q1

Figure 3: This landscape stone with multiple jagged peaks forming an arc measures 13 x 6
x 14 cm.. The stone is displayed in a whimsical suiban as the rugged terrain portrayed by
the stone is often surrounded by wildflowers.
fossils are simply an impression imprinted into the
stone, petrified wood is the actual three-dimensional
replacement of the original organic matter. In many
pieces of petrified stone, the tree rings can still be
observed in a cross section just as they would have
appeared when the tree was still living.
Perhaps these wonderful stones have been
overlooked for use as viewing stones because they
are not as often seen pictured in classical suiseki and
viewing stone literature. We tend to develop a standard
and an expectation of only what we have seen and
have grown accustomed. Possibly stone lovers have
discounted fossils, including petrified wood, because
it once was a living organism, unlike other collectable
stones. But what a lovely thought that living tree
tissue became petrified in stone form for hundreds of
thousands of years. In many ways petrified stones have
a common denominator with all other stones that also
went through some level of metamorphic change to
end up in its present state.
I live in an area laden with beautiful stones, much
of which is petrified wood. When stone collecting
in rivers and streams or in the high desert I often
am drawn and pick up stones that upon closer
examination, is petrified wood. The more I have
studied, observed and enjoyed these stones, the more
I see petrified wood as a legitimate and viable viewing
stone. Petrified wood specimens should no longer be
overlooked as viewing stones , not only because of their
timeless beauty, but because each individualized stone
has a story to tell. Each stone conjures up thoughts
of what environmental changes must have occurred
to create such a lovely stone. Each stone stirs the
imagination of brutal winters, blazing hot summers,
harsh forest fires or a cool spring. Enriched through
the ages through water laden minerals, as erosion took
place and brought these plant fossils to the surface,
these pieces of stone have lain for centuries, polished
by wind, sand and harsh elements, often creating a
beautiful patina and a naturally polished stone. These
harsh elements have also hewn imaginative and
remarkable shapes transforming them into objects of
artistic wonder to be appreciated for generations.
Rich in texture and shape, a petrified wood viewing
stone has many more options than the stereotypical
log-like stone in a tray or wooden base. Petrified
wood forms the appearance of beautiful landscapes

Figure 4: This stone was collected in the Blue Forest of
Wyoming. The interior of Blue Forest stones is known for
the deep black color inside of the stone. This small stone (5
x 5 x 8 cm.) is an example of a quartz inclusion resembling
a waterfall.

34 | BCI | January/February/March 2017