Asian Tradition in Stone Appreciation-- an exhibit in Washington DC USA

Potomac Viewing Stone Group (PVSG) mounted an exhibit in late December at the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum. The exhibit ends tomorrow to be replaced by a PVSG exhibit titled "American Stone Appreciation." The scheduled "Asian Tradition" lecture was cancelled due to snow earlier this month. Attached are photos from the exhibit & related illustrations beginning with Chinese stones...


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I love that poem "Winter". However should I assume that "icy steam" should read "icy stream"?

... end of First Table at entrance to the exhibit

The Center Table with continuing Chinese stones...

Between Chinese & Japanese stones, a joint effort (gasaku) scroll with the cross-seasonal, cross-cultural theme of "4 Noble Gentlemen"...

Japanese stones...








End of center table.

Third table, first stone (more information to be added)...


"Chuzenji"
This stone was cherished for the way it evoked image of Mt. Nantai and it's lake Chuzenji.  Mount Nantai is a famous mountain in Japan, both in religious texts and modern recreational use. It is among sites famed for fall leaf color.


The stone was previously owned by the head priest of the Kibune shrine (Kyoto), Mr. Oya. It changed hands and came into the possession of Mr. Tsukamoto who formally registered it as an important Japanese Masterpiece.  Mr. Tsukamoto was a well-known collector with many high quality stones.

Kibune stones are famed for their purple color, which is very subtle & considered extremely elegant in display because of rich literary/cultural allusions that express courtly feeling.  The author of Heian period novel Tales of Genji is Lady Murasaki ("Lady 'Purple' "), the Fujiwara clan is closely associated with fuji "wisteria" of purple hue, etc.


On the eve of beginning the journey described in Basho's Narrow Road Into the Interior (early 1690s), his travelling companion Sora writes:

I shave my head
at Black Hair Mountain (Kurokamiyama)--
time for summer clothes

Sora shaves his head, changes into the black robes of a priest and takes on Buddhist name.  He creates a literary/cultural memory for Mount Nantai (a.k.a. Kurokamiyama) & its important Shinto shrine precinct that resonates today for two important suiseki...

Below, the first stone (known as Kurokamiyama & not in the exhibit) was found in the early 17th century when preparing the site for Toshogu shrine.   Exhibited by PVSG member Mike Pollack, the second stone was named Chuzenji by the head of the Toshogu shrine.

Oops-- lost the text!


Last stone...




Some text to be added... hopefully influenced by IBC browsers comments. Thanks for catching our poetry transcription flaw, Velodog-- I had missed the "icy stream" which surely reads better!

Chris -

Thanks for sharing. This is one of many things that I miss from Virginia. Utah just doesn't have a strong viewing stone following... There are a couple stones that I recognize in there (they're yours), and many that I haven't seen before. It's nice to see a good mix of both Japanese and Chinese stones. Wish I could have been there (assuming I would have been able to make it up there with all the snow you've had).

Hope all is well,

Christian

Although I have to say I spent a little time imagining an "icy steam" which is strangely evocative of winter. I live close to DC and hope to get to the exhibit. Thanks for making the effort to post all of these very good pics Chris.

enjoyed reading the Haikus tho confused to find the format of 5/7/5 pretty much ignored. Even by the best of the best. here's one of mine.....

Ascending down the mountain walls
The morning sun illuminates the valley floor
I can hear the silence

My understanding
Is that it is syllables
Counted in haiku

Translations sometimes
Mean that syllables counted
Might vary from intent

Hello Dick – Please take no offense, but I could not resist the challenge you created.   I am no scholar of Japanese poetry and could easily be wrong, but I was taught that in haiku it is the number of syllables that matter not the number of words.   I also note that in an art form based on the spoken word, such as haiku, its translation into another language while being perhaps equally artful cannot at all times preserve all the nuance of the original.  

However, in any language, your poem is delightful.

Respectfully and in fun!
David B.

Dear Dick and David, I am so excited to see haiku being used (other than by myself) in exhibitions! As far as syllables, the 5, 7, 5 was wrongly taught in our American school systems as Japanese "sounds" are different than English "syllables." Nowadays, most modern day haijin (haiku poets) use a short, long, short rhythm or something close to it. Also note, the word haiku isn't plural, however you are correct that translations are not necessarily true to syllable counts. For more detailed information, please visit our website: http://unitedhaikuandtankasociety.com

Here's one for the cold weather we are having <s>

bitter cold
a juniper berry parts
the jay's beak

an'ya

PS: hiya Chris . . .