Stone of the Month: June 2019"Western Mountains"
Scenic landscape stones are the most popular type of viewing stones throughout the world. Anyone who has searched for stones in nature knows how difficult it is to find an excellent stone that is hard, dark-colored and with a patina that gives an aged appearance. Furthermore, it should have a form and shape that readily reminds people of a landscape scene, in this case steep mountain peaks. This stone has all of these qualities. The uneven wrinkled bottom of the stone matches the texture on the all sides. It rests in a high-quality rosewood base that has simple lines and adds to the elegant appearance of this viewing stone. The base is more like a Japanese style than a Chinese style. It is easy to sit and admire this stone and to contemplate its features. Yet, this stone is completed man-made from natural stone by a highly skilled stone carver in China. Despite the fact that I consider natural stones for my preferred viewing stones, I can still appreciate the features of this stone and realize that most stone collectors cannot tell the difference between an expertly worked stone by a master carver and a natural stone. This stone is 20 cm wide, 8.5 cm high and 8 cm deep.
