Alternatives to Traditional Wood BasesUse of Flower Pots and Pebbles to Display Stones
By Thomas S. Elias, February, 2020
Displaying strong vertical oriented stones pose challenges to collectors who are seeking an alternative to expensive hand carved bases strong enough to secure hold stones in the desired orientation. Custom made hardwood or softwood bases can cost several hundred dollars if made by a professional wood worker. High quality bases are difficult for a novice wood carver with limited skills to make.
I found an inexpensive but attractive solution in some thick-walled, heavy duty ceramic pots that are capable of supporting a heavy stone. These ceramic pots were made by Ben Rigney, a professional ceramicist working at the American Museum of Ceramic Art in Pomona, California. His contemporary earth-toned pots were made primarily for cactus and succulent collectors, but they can be readily adopted for the display of stones.
This pot with the irregular, broad, dark brown band around the waist is 24.5 cm across and 10 cm deep. I plugged the drain holes and filled the interior with tiny pebbles about 5 to 8 mm wide. The small pebbles provided a greater level of support for a heavy stone than medium to coarse sand. The stone on the left, a piece of petrified wood from China, weighs 2.81kg (6.2 pounds) and is 37 cm long. Despite its size and weight, it is held firmly in place by the pot and pebble. The colors of the point are harmonious with and compliment the color and texture of the stone. The cost of this pot was only $50. I then tried a larger heavier piece of petrified wood, 41.5 cm long and weighs 5.8 kilograms (12.8 pounds) in the same pot. This has a nice balance appearance along with the complimentary colors of both objects.
This pot with a tree bark-like surface is compatible with the wood turned to stone piece of petrified wood from southern Arizona. This pot is 15 cm across and 11cm deep. The stone is 41 cm high and weighs about 1.54 kilograms (3.4 pounds). Again, I used uniformed sized pebbles to securely hold the stone in the desired orientation. The two large drain holes were plugged using pieces of used corks from wine bottles. This pot cost only $35.
Rigney is willing to make deep pots without holes (suiban ?) for use in displaying stones. He makes a wide range of pot sizes and surface textures. Rigney is also capable of making rectangular and oval trays as well as wheel-thrown circular pots. I will be experimenting with these hand-made ceramic pots, trays, and tiny pebbles in the future. This is an alternative worth considering for viewing stone enthusiasts.
