When a suiseki have a story
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To better understand the Japanese suiseki, a few examples of stones that, regardless of their physical characteristics, are of particular value because their history is documented. In Japan, in fact, when you have the opportunity to determine with certainty the origin of a suiseki but also to its daiza through reliable documentation, then the stone, while not a historic stone and therefore still marketable, takes on a special and this increases the appeal and cost. For most of the stones with a certain history, for example, the kiribako, the box that contains them, itself becomes the document of suiseki, because the back of the cover are affixed the names of the owners and the timbres that happen in time, authenticating then steps out of hand. On the front side of the cover, however, it is written to the place of origin of the stone, and sometimes it is painted the same stone. In the case of very ancient stones, it may be even necessary to build a second kiribako, because on the cover there is no place to write the names of the owners. The second kiribako will be larger than the former, so as to be able to contain also the previous.When you buy a Japanese suiseki, therefore, the presence of kiribako will increase the value and importance, affecting the price.In very rare cases, then, the stone is accompanied by an album, a collection of pages on which the various owners but also the casual observers have written poems, reflections or executed paintings that suiseki suggested them. This kind of testimony is very rare and makes the stone inesistimabile.
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| A small Furuya-ishi |
| This stone comes from a private collection and will be offered for sale at auction by Christie's in December 2015, in an event called "Beyond white clouds - Chinese Scholar's Rocks From A Private Collection", which also includes many Chinese stones. In the item description, curiously we speak very little of the stone itself and a lot of people who shared with suiseki part of their earthly life. The stone is sold through an auction (estimated value: $ 31.118 - $ 51.863) ... another piece to add to the known life of this suiseki. |
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Description.
A SMALL JAPANESE FURUYAISHI ROCK MOUNTAIN ACCOMPANIED WITH A MOUNTED ALBUM OF COMMENTARIES BY VARIOUS CONNOISSEURS
JAPAN, LATE EDO PERIOD
The horizontal stone with pointed ridges resembling a craggy mountain, the surface with natural calcite striations representing waterfalls gushing out from valleys.
5 3/4 in. (14.5 cm.) wide, wood stand, Japanese wood box with signature of Yamomoto Baitsu dated to 1852, within a larger Japanese wood box with signature of Tani Tetsuomi dated to 1875
Provenance.
Collection of Kosugi, according to the album, probably Kosugi Goroemon (1785-1854), a Japanese entrepreneur active in Omi area during the late Edo period
Yamamoto Baiitsu (1783-1856), a renowned Japanese painter
Collection of Ichida, according to the album, probably Ichida Yaichirou (1843-1906), a Japanese entrepreneur active in Omi area during the Meiji period
Signed Nyoiou and Taiko on the Japanese wood box, studio names of Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905), a Japanese poet active in Omi area during the Meiji period
Seal reading ‘Chisendou’ on the Japanese wood box, studio name of Okumura Chikutei (1873-1927), a Japanese seal carver
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| This rock mountain is fitted within two Japanese wood boxes. The cover of the smaller wood box is inscribed on one side with the characters long men (dragon gate), signed Gyokuzen; the other side with an inscription by Gyokuzen with a cyclical renzi date corresponding to 1852, explaining that he has renamed the rock ‘Mount Horai (Penglai)’, an immortal dwelling supported on a turtle’s back in Chinese mythology, due to its resemblance of the underside that is similar to the texture of a turtle shell. Gyokuzen is the studio name of the renowned literati painter Yamamoto Baiitsu (1783-1856), who was active during the late Edo period. The other larger wood box is inscribed on one side of the cover with the characters reading Mount Horai, signed Nyoiou with a cyclical yihai date corresponding to 1875, and a seal reading Taiko; the other side with a seal Chisendou. Nyoiou and Taiko are both studio names of the Meiji-period poet Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905) active in the Omi area, while Chisendou is the studio name of the seal carver Okumura Chikutei (1873-1927). |
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The rock is also accompanied by a mounted album with commentaries by 15 literati active in the Omi and Kyoto areas during the late 19th to early 20th century. In this album, the painter Murata Koukoku (1831-1912) portrayed the present rock mountain in two illustrations, and in a commentary dated to 1873 noted that the rock was originally possessed by Kosugi, and later came into the collection of Yamamoto Baiitsu, whom first named the rock ‘Dragon Gate’ and then ‘Mount Horai’. Its ownership had thence been transferred to Ichida. It is likely that Kosugi refers to Kosugi Goroemon (1785-1854), a Japanese entrepreneur active in Omi area during the late Edo period, while Ichida refers to Ichida Yaichirou (1843-1906), a Japanese entrepreneur active in Omi area during the Meiji period. Since the larger wood box bears the signature of Tani Tetsuomi dated to 1875 on one side and the seal of Okumura Chikutei on the other, it is possible that the rock mountain was later passed on to Okumura Chikutei and then to Okumura Chikutei.
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| The 15 literati participating in the making of this album include: Murata Koukoku (1831-1912), Tani Tetsuomi (1822-1905), Yamanaka Ken(1822-1885), Kamiyama Houyou(1824-1889), Ema Tenkou (1825-1901), Jin Shiheng (act. Guangxu period) , Tanabe Hekidou (1864-1931), Nakamura Tansui , Okamoto Yu(1810-1897), Katayama Tsutomu, Hayashi Sokyou (1828-1896), Ichimura Ken(1842-1899), most of whom had poems included in the publication Nihon Dojin Shisen, which was published in 1883 in Japan and compiled by the Chinese poet Chen Manshou who travelled to Japan in the late 19th century and became associated with the literati circle in Omi and Kyoto areas. |
| Thanking Dr. Mr. Elias for kindly signaling |
| Texts and pictures from on line catalogue of Christie's |
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| Bonseki "Doten" ("Heavenly Cavern") |
In the first edition of the Japan Suiseki Exhibition, the exhibition of suiseki of members of the Nippon Suiseki Association, held in Tokyo in February 2014, one of the most significant pieces on display was a very small but historically important bonseki, the "Heavenly Cavern", already owned by Prince Arisugawa Taruhito. The stone is accompanied by kiribako and its album, which is also contained in a wooden box. The stone measures 10 cm x 6.5 cm x 6.5 cm.
Curiously, after the show the stone has been proposed in a major auction, of which I possess the catalog. The estimated value was between 8,500,000 and 10,000,000 yen, a staggering figure ... between 60,000 and 75,000 Euro! But I can not satisfy your legitimate curiosity: Doten has now a new owner? |
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This Meiji period bonseki is the product of a refined time in suiseki cultural history, and we are honored to have it displayed in this new exhibition series.
While this palm-sized stone is not suitable for tokonoma display, we have included it in this section because of its historical value. The origin of the stone in unknown, but in light of the cultural context of the time, the various inscriptions in the accompanying album, and the nature of the stone itself , it is thought that this stone was brought to Japan from China as a cherished item to be placed on a desktop among the writing implements of the literati. The elegance of the five great mountains of China, or perhaps the three famous mountains in Japan, are all embodied in this tiny stone. With an open heart one could even sense the likes of Buddhism's mythical Mount Sumeru. It is a precious stone known to have been appreciated by imperial princes and one that must be preserved for generations to come.
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| Box inscription " Album accompanying the stone Doten" and the album's final entry of a poem ad depiction of the stone's box by Tomioka Tessai |
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| In the literati fashion, albums are part of suiseki appreciation and occasionally accompany stones, and this is the most dignified of them all. Literally called "Cloud root journals", this name derives from the ancient Chinese belief that clouds were born from the gaps between mountain rocks and stones. As clouds were thought to originate from stones, the term "cloud roots" (in other words, "cloud origins") came to signify rocks and stones in general. People who viewed a given stone would leave their impressions in these albums in the form of pictures or poetry. Dedicated entirely to a single stone, this album is a treasure of the suiseki world in which a number of important historical figures appear. |
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| Pictures and texts from 2014 JSE Catalogue |
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