The Role of the Wood Base in Stone AppreciationDescription of how a Good Base can Improve a Stone Display
By Thomas S. Elias, September, 2019
This small Italian Ligurian stone has many nice features, but the five arches in different positions near the base of the stones are the most attractive features. This stone was collected by Luciana Queirolo, a true connoisseur of Ligurian stones and president of the Italian Stone Lovers Association. It was presented to me by Mrs. Queirolo without a base. I turned to Phil Hogan, a highly skilled wood worker in southern California, to discuss how a base could be made for this stone, one that would emphasize the arches. He agreed to make a hardwood base for this stone. A few weeks later Hogan returned with a beautiful base made from walnut (Juglans). He knew from the expression on my face that it wasn’t what I was hoping to achieve with the base. We further discussed this display and he took the stone and base back to his work shop. Reducing the thickness and carving an undulating top to the base to give the arches greater size and emphasis resulted in uniting the base and stone into a more cohesive unit. The skill of a master wood carver like Phil can turn a stone into a timely work of art and raise it above the more frequently encountered generic style soft wood bases used to create hobbyist level objects. This stone should be viewed from different angles or slowly rotating to see all five of the arches.
The role of the wood base is to hold, orient, and help convey the stone’s message. As the display of interesting and unusual stones progressed from large out door courtyards to more intimate smaller garden spaces and eventually into interior settings, mechanisms were needed to secure stones in desired positions for viewing. The first devises were stone basins, bowls, low tables, and even cloth. According to Jan Stuart in a paper in the seminal book Worlds Within Worlds, the wood base first came into use in the Ming dynasty in China. The evolution from simply placing a stone on a piece of wood to the development of a lip and socket to better hold and orient a stone was a significant advance in stone appreciation practices. This then opened the door to seemingly infinite ways of shaping and adorning bases in making statements to viewers. Most Chinese collectors and wood carvers opted for more elaborately decorative bases, while Japanese counterparts eventually choose more subtle, understated bases that were subordinate to the stone and in line with their aesthetic tastes. If you buy a stone with a base, then the decision on size, style, and message has already been made for you. If you have a stone that needs a base, then you have the pleasure and challenge in deciding what the message to convey.
First, a wood base must securely hold a stone in a preferred position that also appears balanced and stable. The owner of a stone has the responsibility of determining its front. In rare cases, a stone may be displayed in more than one position with each position expressing a different feeling. A superior base firmly holds the stone in place and does not have to reply on the use of museum wax or other similar means to hold it in position. This also means that a stone should not be sitting precariously and not be in danger of falling over with the slightest vibrations. Securing a stone in a wood base is one of the more difficult tasks for amateur wood carvers.
The second challenge is orienting the stone in the most desirable position for optimal viewing. Tilting the stone slightly forward or backward can make a successful display or detract from it. To determine this angle, it is best to view and study the stone in different positions. The use of a bean bag or tray with sand is an effective way of doing this. Should the right or left side of the stone be raised a few millimeters or not is equal in importance as the forward or backward angle. This is a stage in the development of a base that many owners begin to relinquish their role in the display. This is unfortunate as it turns the role of determining the message to the base maker. In some cases, such as novice stone collectors, this may be best as an experienced wood carver knows the best methods for a successful display. But true stone connoisseurs will have determined these angles before any wood carving begins. One of the more pleasurable times in having a base made is when a knowledgeable stone collector sits with a highly skilled wood worker and discusses viewing angles and the type of base to be made for a stone. This is a valuable learning experience for both parties. For many, the collector and the base carver are the same person out of necessity. The paucity of highly skilled wood workers who make bases for viewing stones is a limiting issue in the world of viewing stone appreciation. Also, the cost of having a suitable and beautiful base made by a professional is a limiting factor for many collectors.
This natural unaltered piece of chalcedony from Arizona petrified wood was oriented to resemble a plateau with a shallow overhang on the left side. In order to have the plateau-like area flat, the base maker, Phil Hogan, had to make the back portion of the walnut base much higher that the front portion of the base and the right side of the base was made slightly lower than the left side. This allows the stone to be displayed in the correct orientation. Details such as these make the difference between an excellent base and an ordinary one.
The shape, form, and exterior features of a base are critical. Should the base be traditional or contemporary? If it is a traditional base, should it have simple lines and somewhat recessed small feet so the viewer’s attention is more on the stone than the stone and base together? Should the lines of a base conform to the lines of the stone so it appears as a natural extension of the stone? Or, should the base extend further out from the stone to form a platform or pedestal raising the stone to a new height? Does relief carving on the base add to the message? The answers to these questions lie in the stone itself. Learning to look at a stone carefully and evaluate all of its features to determine what it represents and what message you want this stone to convey to viewers is another indication of the level of connoisseurship of a collector. Likewise, the conscious decision to make the display more in the Chinese or Japanese tradition greatly influences the size, shape, and ornamentation of a base. Regional differences in bases have developed in larger countries. China is a good example where northern and southern style bases are distinguished. Certain bases from Taiwan have distinctive features such as the fine narrow vertical lines in the base of this structure stone. In Korea, distinctive short bulbous legs are sometimes used as seen in this chrysanthemum flower stone. Eventually, an experienced collector can look at a stone and base and often know who made the base or identify the country where it was made.
Stone collectors and stone connoisseurs have many options when making or having a base made for their stone. Having different styles and different approaches to displaying stones make for a more interesting collection and exhibition. Exploring these avenues can make the hobby and the art of stone collecting more exciting. Among those options are to discard a lower quality made base or an inexpensive generic cup-shaped base and have a new base made that better matches your stone. The quality of the base should match the quality of the stone. Regardless of the style, bases have three equally important functions—to hold, orient, and help convey a message.
