FEATURED BOOK REVIEW

Murata, Keiji 1972

Suiseki and Biseki, Practical Encyclopedia (Suiseki, Biseki: Jitsugi Hyaka)

Rating: Excellent, a valuable reference for understanding Japanese Suseiki practices in the early 1970s.

Juseki-sha. 235 pages, ISBN: 0076-0013-3240.

By Hiromi Nakaoji

This book is designed to provide comprehensive and practical information on appreciating Suiseki and Biseki. The book is unique in its emphasis on practical aspects, rather than essays or guidelines, to appreciate Suiseki. The book is also unique in that it includes Biseki. The chapters include: 1. How to appreciate stones, 2. How to finish suiseki, 3. How to Finish Pattern Stones, 4. Practical Techniques of Appreciating Suiseki, 5. How to Enjoy Chinese Stones, 6. How to Name a Stone, 7. How to Make Daiza and How to Modify Suiseki, 8. How to Enjoy Biseki and Semi-jewelry, 9. How to Buy and Sell Suiseki, 10. How to Live and Enjoy the Beauty of Suiseki.

Just listing all the chapters will make us realize how comprehensive this book is. The book demonstrates how to manually grind stones and how to use a grinder to refine them. The book provides examples of displays in the Tokonoma and various areas of the house. In Chapter 2, the book highlights areas in Japan where various suiseki are produced and provides detailed descriptions of 24 representative types of stones. It is also uncommon to find a chapter on appreciating Chinese rocks in a Japanese suiseki book, even though Chinese stones were quite popular among the Bunjin or Literati during the end of the Edo and the beginning of the Meiji periods.

The book is essential for understanding the Japanese suiseki in the 1970s. No other book published at this time has been as comprehensive in its appreciation of suiseki for the general public as this volume.