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Evaluating: | Ten Views of a Rock | Terminology | The Science of Suiseki
Below there are several different perspectives on evaluating stones, from various collectors and cultures.

Chinese Terminology

Ancient terminology:

  • Shou - elegant, slender, vertical, alone
  • Zhou - rich textures, delicate ridges and lines, rhythms in shape
  • Lou - exquisite beauty, indentations and channels linked to one another like a path
  • Tou - openings, holes (such as those which will let moonlight and wind pass through)

    Modern Terminology:
    Shape (xing)
  • naturally shaped
  • abstract and representational shapes
  • near or far distant scenes
  • objects such as human figures and animals

    Material (zhi)

  • hard material (inward quality)
  • rich texture (outward quality)
  • sound quality (relates to material)

    Color (se)

  • hue and luster should be natural, simple, pure
  • naturally black, gray or yellowish brown
  • baojing - special coating on old rocks from years of contact with human hands Spirit (shen)
  • animated and inspiring
  • artistic - insight or revelation that captivates and provokes thought
  • romantic charm
  • "a rock, though small, will show its intelligence when it has spirit"
  • rocks with inertia - serentiy, calm, strength
  • animated rocks - fly, dance, shout, jump.


    Japanese Terminology

    Five factors: shape, matter, color, temperament, and "yoseki" (ancient look)

    Shape:

  • shape reminds you of something natural
  • a balance of stone's 3 faces - stone's front, rear, right and left, and bottom

    Matter:

  • hard rock
  • calm rock
  • hold moisture after watering

    Color:

  • color that harmonize with natural feeling
  • best is black - called "maguro"
  • fine is sand gray or blue-black
  • gray is called haiguro
  • blueblack is called aoguro

    Temperament:

  • temperament created by nature, weathering of "yoseki"
  • itokake- surface quartz on gray sandstone
  • shunn - nanga - folds of a mountain
  • shiwa - small, complex wrinkles
  • sudati - small surface holes
  • jiyagure - irregular surface indentations
  • riyugan - surface of quartz and calcareous formations
  • nashijihada- surface pocked similar to surface of pear
  • sabahana - weathered surface

    Yoseki - Ancient look:

  • yoseki is "old feeling" created by nature
  • fine shape
  • fine deep color
  • fine temperament
  • ancient look




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