Hut Stone placement

Wondering if anyone might have a minute to tell me if
this is the correct placement for my hut stone? Or should it be
exactly in the middle, or set off to the right? Thank you, an'ya

Hi An'ya... In regard to suiseki & tray placement, a hut stone is only appropriate in a tray on a mound of soil covered with moss. A hut or plain boat stone (such as an abandoned lake/pond/river skiff or a modest boat approaching a shore) are the the major exceptions to displaying a landscape-view in a tray. A grass hut within the landscape might also be acceptable as a landscape view stone in a tray, but I've only seen them on wood daiza.

Your placement would be about right on a rectangular or oval tray. Round trays (I've never seen square used though they could be) typically carry tall vertically mounted landscape-view stones (e.g. massive thread waterfall stone) which haven't significant empty space around them in the tray.

Hey there Chris, keeping you busy <s> . . so if I placed this hut stone on a piece of soil covered with moss instead of on the sand, would it then be okay in this particular tray which has a pond motif on the sides? It's kind of a round square tray, the middle being round and the outside being square, and only is 2 inches high. I would like to go for the "hut by the pond" look. Of geeze, I am doing this all wrong. I feel like when I first was learning to write haiku, so many different rules and schools-of-thought, an'ya

This one would be a bit wide off-the-mark by tradition as the hut (should be a thatched hut) doesn't appear to have any overhanging roof. & the lip with rings perhaps suggests a pot for cooking over a fire.

I think you are safe to choose the viewing stone image which best matches your personal taste. Might as well enjoy the stone and the pot, but its best to appreciate the tradition when someone asks. Most people will be open to your expression and taste, even if you are the banished yama-ubu (or Shibuya yamanba) ("mountain hag" or modern girl feigning mountain banishment) of exceedingly eccentric taste. Who knows, the world might come to for a make-over. Few on the IBC Forum sweat at being tied to tradition... though tradition can take you to expression that is rare and cultivating.

You don't want to end as a character on MTV's Jersey Shore, I'd imagine.

Actually the stone does have a bit of a bottom (although small-ish) but I took the photo more from the top and I think that's why you can't see it. Although I am eccentric, I am also quite traditional (more eastern minded than western minded) so won't stray too far off the path lest I be banished (even though some may call me a hag), or deemed a character on Jersey Shore.

Seriously though, I can see that this is going to be a long-learning process but then that's what I enjoy about the whole suiseki art form. Thanks again for your kind assistance Chris. I will be getting back to editing our haiku journal which needs to go to press soon, and then I'll pop back to bug you some more. Leaving you with a more traditional and older Japanese tanka:

cold cemetery -
the long sleeves of your old coat
warm my fingertips
even from beyond this grave
you manage to comfort me

an'ya

Hi An'ya... The poem you cited really struck me, and I was going to respond with three lines following the last two. First, I decided to see if the original occurred in Japanese linked verse. Arrggg! It appears to be your tanka (see link), and you are a bit famous in Japanese-style short poetry circles.

A local admirable eccentric Stephen Addiss (see link) was selected honorary curator of the American Haiku Collection (Cal' State Library) this year. The Library's database suggest you might not have survived the year 2005... and needs refreshing.

Please continue sharing poetry with stone presentation.

Hi there Chris, thank you for your kind words. I am still surviving and a lot of links need refreshing as soon as I get un-busy. Meanwhile, I am going to post a special "single" suiseki just for you under a new topic right after this. Yes Stephen also does haiga (haiku painting), and I'll post one of mine just for you also. I truly appreciate your patient answers and valid attempts to guide me in the right direction <s> about rocks . . . love ya, an'ya