It's a tradition in Japan: suiseki are natural stones that suggest natural scenes or animal and human figures. The stones should not be modified and are displayed as found (a single cut is allowed). When someone finds a stone that embodies such a quality, it's collected and a display base, usually wooden, is crafted for the stone to sit upon. The tradition arrived from China where scholar's stones had been collected and appreciated as early as the Tang Dynasty in the 7th century. In this interview, Masahiro Nakajima and Janet Roth, president of the San Francisco Suiseki Kai, discuss the depth and meaning in this ancient art.
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