AusBonsai

Wife thinks this rock looks like an owls face. Not really a suiseki but an interesting rock all the same.

I like it. I can definitely see the Owl in it.
But why isn't it a suiseki?

Why isn't it a suiseki?, I just don't think it fits the criteria of what makes a good Suiseki. Its a really nice rock but not a suiseki.

longd_au wrote:I like it. I can definitely see the Owl in it.
But why isn't it a suiseki?

Yep , can definitely see the owl. I quite like it. I think it's entirely up to you whether it's a suiseki or not. In my house my daughter would have me making a base for it for sure

Elton meets Horned Owl maybe? There is a category of Object Stones (Keisho-seki) that is Bird-shaped Stones (Torigata-ishi). The originators of stone appreciation that later became known as Suiseki probably never envisaged it would become popular beyond China and Japan. This is evidenced by the catergory of Place of Origin which only recognizes stones from Japanese locations.

With old established traditions like suiseki it is easy to get caught up in classification rules and miss out on the spontaneous fun to be had pursuing the art of suiseki in contemporary Australia.

The more I learn about suiseki the more opportunities I see for emerging Australian suiseki and the less I'm confined by traditional guidelines. I have added a few new catergories to my collection including 1) Round Stones 2) Fragile Stones 3) Pool Stones 4) Waterworn Crystals.
If you are interested in suiseki I'd recommend a little book called 'The Japanese Art of Stone Appreciation: Suiseki and its use with Bonsai' by Vincent T Covello and Yuji Yoshimura.

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