The Molten Notebook

This post is dedicated to my red-headed friend from preschool who taught me about rocks. By the time George moved away in third grade, I knew most of the local stones by name. Feldspar. Rose quartz (above). Granite.

Suiseki, the Japanese art of stone viewing, is another animal entirely. (Bird-shaped Stone, Collection of Jim Hayes)

Where the collector classifies, suiseki appeals to the near-unversal habit of finding familiar shapes in natural phenomena like clouds and stars.

Stone viewers select rocks that naturally resemble something else, often a mountain range or a creature. (Mountain Lake Stone, Jiangsu Province, China)

They might also choose them for patterns that suggest pictures of celestial bodies, waterfalls or flowers. (Stone with chrysanthemum pattern)

The stones are cleaned, placed in a tray of sand or water, and set on daiza or wooden platforms for display. (Carving daiza that suit the character of the stone is an art in itself.)

They are usually given a title that suggests what the artist saw in the stone -- Slope Stone (doha-ishi), Water Pool Stone (mizutamari-ishi, pictured above), Bird-Shaped Stone (torigata-ishi). (From the collection of Jim Hayes)

I've seen suiseki displayed in alcoves with a complementary scroll or placed on desks.

They might even be arranged by themes, as in the current exhibit at the National Bonsai and Penjing Museum in Washington.

The exhibit "Suiseki from the Keystone State" focuses on stones collected in southern Pennsylvania, where water-worn jasper and serpentine are often found. California is another good bet for American enthusiasts in search of inspiring material.

For artists and viewers alike, the art of suiseki encourages a spirit of contemplation, discovery, and even whimsy. I didn't recognize this one at the museum, but now I see it.