What Sand For Display Of Suiseki In A Suiban ??

bonsaial1

Here is a future stone that I have not cut yet. It is from Northern California, probably Eel river or Russian river. Very dark green and a fairly good patina which does not show up to well in the pic.

I will be cutting this stone in the near future and building a daiza for it. (the tape represents the cut line).

Regards, Bonsai-al

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bonsaial1

The other side

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dbz12fan

Great stone Al. Cutting stones is one other thing that many traditionalists often frown upon. I have not developed a strong preference either way, but I do feel that most high quality stones will be uncut. It is much harder to find an uncut stone with all of the correct features than finding a large stone and cutting piece off of it.

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Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl

bonsaial1

Just what exactly constitutes high quality in a stone.

In the jewlery trade uncut stones are valuable. But their intrinsic worth is nothing compared to what is acomplished after the cleve.

Suiseki are no different. The value is what one person places on the desireability of the object offered for review. While I would be sure that we would have difffering values on any stone cut or uncut.

To say that cut stones are less valuable because they are cut is ludicrous. Less valuable to who?

While the stone I have shown is of absolutly no value, me included, except that I want to cut it and make a dai for it. Will it actually have less value after I cut it?

1.Just what exactly is that value that I have cut from it?
2.The part that makes it impossible to get the proportional look from the stone for display?
3.Is it not natural now because I cut it?
4. Is it now ruined for a collector of uncut stones.
5. Do we for purities sake, just toss aside a stone because if cutting it we have ruined it?
6. Do we take a slice from a stone and improve on nature through carefull manipulation of the hand of man?

I don't know, but I do know that many stones have been improved through cutting and any other thought is once again shortsighted.

Regards, Al

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bonsaial1

I think I see your point about cut stones. This one looks terrible!

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dbz12fan

Lol Al, I never said cut stones looked terrible. I can enjoy a cut stone just as much as an uncut stone.

For me, the value of a stone does however go up if it is uncut. A quality stone that does not need cutting is one in a million. I could, however, find many more stones that could be cut and have all of the same aesthetic qualities as the uncut stone. The rarer an object is, the more valuable it is as well.

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Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl

bonsaial1

So if I understand you clearly, if you have a collection of ugly uncut stones, and I have a collection of beautiful cut stones, yours is more valuable.

I think you are placing the value on something that does not mean anything. This value thing to me means nothing except to someone on Ebay. Cut or uncut to me they serve the same purpose. I have many stones wiith uncut bottoms. Many of them have dai, and some do not. If a stone can be proportional without cutting, I would not, and do not. But if I can enhance a stone by cutting it, I would, and IMO I have not lessened its value, only enhanced it.

Al

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bonsaial1

There you have it folks. P.T.Barnum is laughing his ass off right now!

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dbz12fan

What I am saying is that if you find one stone uncut and you find another stone that looks exactly like the other one after cutting, the uncut one would be more valuable (I hope that made sense). Also, value can be something other than a price.

Cutting stones is perfectly acceptable if it enhances the stone.

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"Success demands understanding"-Andy Rutledge

Charles Bevan
Vero Beach, Fl