A Greeting and an Inspiration from Yvonne Graubaek

This year we have plenty of time to enjoy watching the beauty of the way a watered stone dries. This relaxing pastime is also the traditional way to enjoy a suiban display. Imagine sitting quietly in your favorite spot and watch this Tamagawa ishi go though the process….

Here is the stone before and after watering.

2

Watering at an entrance to a house is regularly done in Japan, to keep the surroundings clean and to welcome guests… Also in suiseki exhibitions watering is some times used especially during summer, to give people the sense of cool freshness, and to let the stone show itself in a suiban in different ways during the day...

3

In my house I like to prepare a suiban with a watered stone to give visitors a fresh greeting, sometimes in the display area, or on a table (close to) were we sit and talk. People like it, and are amazed how a wet stone can be so interesting and look good at the same time...

4

I say to people not into suiseki: Find a nice stone you like, display it in a tray, maybe with sand in the bottom, and water it... it does not have to be an expensive suiseki, and patina is not needed... when not in use you can keep the stone in the garden until you want to use it again, this is called yoseki, and is the best thing you can do for the stone...

5

To give yourself the pure experience it is best that the stone is not washed with soap or waxed or oiled... A stone and a tray is all you need... and only very little space.

6

[ED NOTE: Thank you, Yvonne, for “A way and inspiration to live active with your suiseki”. This is yet another way in which our stones offer a calming experience.]