Latest acquisition to the North American Viewing Stone Collection

Bob Carlson's stone collected from Thomes Creek in Northern California (19" x 13" x 7.5").

Brightened with software to accommodate modest lighting under florescent fixtures...


From an unnaturally low angle to emphasize the foreshortening in depth of the scene that occurs...

Hi Chris,
a nice purchase,it gives me the sense of the ALPS.I love the texture.
regards,
alex

Did he also make the daiza?

snowy hill in the extact beautiful Japanese dai

Beautiful stone, it's rare to see white stones. Hight montains on winter...
I like the daiza too, very simple, japonese style....
congratulation !

mathias

Hi Alex et al.. ... This stone was offered by its Northern California collector/owner Bob Carlson to the National Bonsai & Penjing Museum in Washington, DC, USA. It was accepted into the North American Viewing Stone Collection, housed at the Museum. Bob is very active in California Suiseki Society and this was the first stone to be accessioned into the Collection after a newly written policy was implemented. Stones do not easily move into the Collection, and this one establishes some precedent.

Hi Mike... You asked a simple question but it wasn't easy to answer when I failed to recall the daiza carver (nor were Museum personnel with answers available on a weekend). The black walnut daiza was crafted by its donor Bob Carlson. The stone was found when collecting with his son Eorl Carlson, who is in our stone club.

Alex dredged-up an old post, here. This stone has been in the Museum Collection for ~ 1 1/2 years.

Chris Cochrane wrote:...this was the first stone to be accessioned into the Collection after a newly written policy was implemented. Stones do not easily move into the Collection, and this one establishes some precedent.

Yes, I'd say this one sets the bar pretty high. It's beautiful, but this stone is cut - no?

Can you post the new policy, or provide a link?

Russell

Hi Russell... My recollection is that this stone represented northern California river collecting well-- including the option of bottom-cutting required for its display.

The NBP Museum Curator of Exhibits Kathleen Emerson "Ked" Dell distributes applications for accessioning stones. Her initial contact can reasonably preclude stones unlikely to be accepted from extensive review through the application process. Official review involves the NBP Museum & U.S. National Arboretum staff as well as a committee reviewing stone acquisitions from the National Bonsai Foundation.

There is additionally a policy (perhaps, still a working draft) for accepting stones into the Collection. The policy also covers accepting stones for exhibit & educational purposes, only. Sharing criteria broadly could encourage the stones of best fit to be offered, though you would have to recognize strengths & weaknesses in the Collection to apply the selection criteria.

Today is a federal holiday (Columbus Day), but I left a voice message for the Curator of Exhibits to ask what information is already accessible & what might be shared that is not readily accessible.

Chris, I hope I didn't offend. That wasn't my intention. When you fisrt posted pictures of this stone in your thread "American Stone Appreciation-- a PVSG exhibit in Washington DC", my jaw dropped. Cut or not, it is stunning and I kept going back just to look at IT.

It's more out of curiousity as to what you guys are looking for - and I do understand that it's a subjective process. I (and I may be alone here) would appreciate y'all sharing whatever you can.

R

Hi Russell... Artifacts (including stones) Curator Kathleen Emerson "Ked" Dell is looking at options to post accessioning material on the web, but this requires approvals up the channel. She notes:

... please advise anyone who is interested to contact Jack.sustic@ars.usda.gov for trees and Kathleen.emerson-dell@ars.usda.gov for stones and historical artifacts. We will be happy to send them copies of the policies.

We are limited by storage space and staff, so we are not really looking to expand the collections without careful consideration. However, we do not want to miss an opportunity to add something spectacular to the museum just because people thought we were not interested!

Hope that helps... :-)

A loverly stone