closely associated with Zen Buddhism, the Japanese tea ceremony, and the haiku poetry (seventeen-syllable Japanese verse) of the famous seventeenth-century Japanese poet Basho. None of these concepts can be precisely defined; nor can the qualities they express be directly seen, for they represent a mental state felt by the viewer in the presence of the stone. Although each word conveys a vaguely similar meaning and feeling, each differs in nuance and connotation.
Wabi can mean melancholic, lonely, unassuming, solitary, desolate, calm, quiet, still, impoverished, or unpretentious. Wabi is a subjective feeling evoked by an object, the classic image being an abandoned fisherman’s shack on a lonely beach buffeted by the wind on a gray wintry day. Sabi can mean ancient, serene, subdued, mellowed, antique, mature, and seasoned, as well as lonely, solitary, or melancholic. The presence of sabi is often suggested by the patina and other signs of age or wear on a treasured antique. Shibui can mean quiet, composed, elegant, understated, reserved, sedate, or refined. The quiet and understated elegance of a formal tea ceremony communicates much of the essential meaning of shibui. Finally, yugen can mean obscure and dark, although this darkness is a metaphor for the mysterious, the profound, the uncertain, and the subtle. The classic illustrations of yugen are the moon shining behind a veil of clouds, or the morning mist veiling a mountainside.
Considering the Japanese taste for ambiguity, it should come as no surprise that these concepts are so vaguely defined. For many collectors, the multiple meanings of wabi, sabi, shibui, and yugen can only be captured through poetry. The solitary and tranquil scenes evoked by the following lines of poetry, for example, express much of what is meant by these terms.
To those who long for the cherries to blossom
If only I could show the spring
That gleams from a patch of snow
In this snow-covered mountain village
— FUJIWARA NO IETAKA (1158-1237)
A bird calls out
The mountain stillness deepens
An axe rings out
Mountain stillness grows
— ANONYMOUS (Ancient Chinese Zen poem)
The qualities of wabi, sabi, shibui, and yugen are most evident in stones with worn edges that have endured centuries of weathering, erosion, and buffeting by wind, sand, ice, earth, heat, and water. Such stones are not only beautiful in their own right, but are appreciated as symbols of endurance, solidity, stability, strength, sturdiness, and character. Yet the various accretions of time—scars, lines, wrinkles, fine cracks, patina, and rusting— also reveal the relentless workings of nature and symbolically represent the impermanence, transience, evanescence, perishability, and fleeting character of all things (Fig. 38). The stone, as solid, stable, permanent, and unchanging as it may seem, is fated to disintegrate and disappear. These contrasting yet complementary aspects of the stone make the experience of its beauty deeper and more poignant.
Stones possessing wabi, sabi, shibui, and yugen tend to be especially subtle in their beauty; thus the viewer must be sensitive to nuances and minute details: fine shadings of color, slight differences in texture, and nearly imperceptible refinements of shape. When combined with other aesthetic features of the stone, it is these qualities that distinguish a great suiseki from an ordinary one. The beauty of a great suiseki often lies modestly below the surface and must be uncovered by a discriminating eye.
Some Japanese commercial establishments and collectors use a variety of methods—grinding, chipping, cutting, painting, acid burning, and polishing—to alter the stone. Occasionally a dealer or collector will also apply a coat of matte lacquer to bring out the color of the stone. Purists feel that such alterations violate the spirit of wabi, sabi, shibui, and yugen. According to the traditionalist point of view, the stone should be left as nature made it, except perhaps for some light brushing or grinding of an uneven base. Many commercial dealers argue, however, that high-quality suiseki are rarely found in their natural state. These dealers feel that some form of treatment is often necessary to meet the growing demand for quality stones.
CHAPTER 3
Classification of Suiseki
Japanese collectors have traditionally used several systems to classify suiseki, including classification by shape, color, surface patterns, and place of origin. These are described below. For all major categories, the Japanese name is given in parentheses, followed by the term ishi or seki. Both of these terms mean “stone” or “stones” in Japanese. The Japanese name for a particular stone may also include the word gata, which is a general term meaning “shape” or “shaped.”
CLASSIFICATION BY SHAPE
The most commonly used classification system divides suiseki into two major subclassifications, Scenic landscape stones and Object stones, according to the shape of the stone. Each subclassification is subdivided into further categories. Occasionally, a highly suggestive suiseki will fit into more than one category. In such cases the collector will classify the suiseki in the category that most clearly represents the shape of the stone.
Scenic landscape stones (Sansui kei-seki/Sansui keijo-seki)
Many collectors consider Scenic landscape stones to be the principal form of suiseki. Moreover, some collectors believe that the word suiseki may be a shortened form of sansui kei-seki (lit.: san, mountain; sui, water; kei, scenery; seki, stone). Under this heading there are twelve traditional categories.
Fig 9. Distant mountain stone suggesting a snow-capped mountain. Height: approx. 7 inches (18 cm.). Place of origin: United States (California).
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