In a Chinese garden, the size of the rock is not as important as its character and positioning. They are recognized for their resemblance to mountains or caves, particularly the magical peaks and dark grottoes believed to be inhabited by immortal beings. These unusual, some might say beautiful, rocks are judged on four important criteria:
• thinness
• openness
• perforations
• wrinkling
The most highly prized of these water-worn stones are called Taihu stones, coming from beneath the waters of Taihu lake. These limestone rocks have been collected since time immemorial and are rare. They are white or bluish-black and full of deep hollows and holes. It is said that if one strikes these stones they reply with a faint sound. The most highly regarded rocks emit a bell-like ring when struck.
Scholars’ stones with their strange shapes are considered to have supernatural powers, according to traditional Chinese belief systems. Here, the gnarled stone contrasts with the refined and intricate paving pattern in the Garden of Flowing Fragrance at The Huntington in San Marino, California. The weathered limestone rocks, from Lake Tai, symbolize the eternal.
The tall waterfall in the traditional Chinese Garden of Flowing Fragrance in The Huntington in San Marino, California. is set against a wooded backdrop of oaks and pines. It is made up of limestone from Lake Tai and can be viewed from the Pavilion for Washing Away Thoughts.
The primary attraction of scholars’ stones, however, is not their looks but something deeper. Kemin Hu, an expert on scholars’ stones, explained: “Easterners say that scholars’ stones share a telepathic connection with human souls.” It is the soulful qualities of these stones that make them a desired feature in a traditional Chinese garden. This was the reason that in the late 12th century, the artist Mi Fei, a stone-lover, had a pavilion built in his garden. It was expressly for the purpose of the contemplation of his stones. He even had a favorite stone that he bowed to and addressed as his “elder brother.”
The ancient instructions for setting scholars’ stones state that they must appear solidly based — with more of the stone beneath the ground than above. When in groups, the stones should never be symmetrically arranged, and if they are stacked to create an overhanging feature, they should be placed so as to avoid any feeling of instability or artificiality. They may be placed under a stately pine or combined with flowers. If they are large, they can be set up in front of big halls. This is useful stone-setting advice for us today as well.
The personal and spiritual affinity felt for some of these stones was shared by the great Tang Dynasty Chinese poet Bai Juyi (772-846), when he wrote:
Then I turned towards my two rocks asking If they would stay with me when I am old. They could not speak yet seemed to say That they would remain my faithful friends.
Japanese Viewing Stones
Special “viewing stones” are featured in the Japanese Garden in The Huntington in San Marino, California. By silently looking at these water-washed stones, so elegantly displayed, you may experience artistic inspiration or, at least, a relaxing mood.
The popularity of the limestone Chinese scholars’ rocks influenced the development of the Japanese art form known as suiseki or viewing stones. The Japanese had a deep respect for unusually shaped stones, trees, mountains and ponds, believing them to be inhabited by nature deities, so the idea of artful viewing stones was a natural progression. The stones are found in nature, often coming from rivers, and are prized for their natural shape, texture, color and surface pattern. These character stones are untouched by an artisan’s hand and are often displayed on special bases for best effect.
Like other art forms, Japanese viewing stones can be valued for their abstract essence. They may also be prized for their resemblance to perceived realistic scenes and are placed in categories such as Distant Mountain Stone, Stream Stone, Thatched Hut Stone, Human-shaped Stone and more. They may be set outdoors as a weatherproof art piece, and the best part is that visitors are encouraged to touch them!
Today, viewing stones have fans in the United States. In California, for instance, the natural stones run larger than the suiseki in Japan and can be dramatically colored. Many are prized by Japanese collectors. You can find more information from the website www.suiseki.com.
Eroded by water over eons, this black rock looks like a sensuous abstract sculpture. Viewing stones are carefully set on a constructed base, as shown here, and can be placed throughout a garden.
Split Rocks — Intriguing Native Stones
On a walk in the woods, you may find a large boulder or bedrock with a natural split in it. It may appear as if it is cleaved in two parts. These long crevices, extending the length of the boulder, were considered doorways to the underworld by Native Americans. Although too small for a person to physically enter, it was believed that spirits from beneath the surface travelled upward and passed through these narrow openings into the light. To appease the spirits, a single stone or carefully placed smaller stones would often be wedged into the split. In certain wooded parts of the U.S., you can still come across these stones.
The large split rock shares the spotlight with the summer grasses and blooming perennials at the Native Garden at the New York Botanical Garden: native plants such as prairie dropseed (Sporobulus heterolepsis), yellow flowering Coreopsis, fall asters.
I saw this boulder sitting along a country driveway as I drove by. I quickly turned back to take this photo. Notice the smaller stones wedged in the cleft – a Native American tradition.
You can see the dramatic large Split Rock at the New York Botanical Garden where it is one of the defining features of the Native Plant Garden. Divided by glacial movement eons ago, Split Rock remains unmovable and static as the luminous meadow grasses dance in the breeze. Its crevice is like a doorway for unseen visitors to emerge amidst the eye-catching foliage and blooming asters. This beautiful garden scene would not be the same without the punctuation of an enigmatic split rock.
Stone Circles
Our ancestors often set specific rocks in a circular arrangement to define special gathering places or to act as astronomical calendars. While some of these constructions are beyond the practical scope for most of us, you can easily make a circle of stones, patterned after the Native American council ring, in your backyard.
A stone circle