A Lesson in Viewing Stone Connoisseurship   


By Thomas S. Elias, September, 2020

Mr. Nakagawa Mikio, Sencha tea master and suiseki connoisseur

Yamamoto Shunkyo (1871-1933), a prominent artist in Kyoto during the Meiji and early Showa eras, was a professor at the Kyoto College of Fine Art and one of the founders of the modern Kyoto School style of painting during the Meiji era (1864-1912). Yamamoto also admired and collected quality suiseki. Stones from his collection, like his paintings, are sought by serious collectors of suiseki in Japan. Nakagawa Mikio of Nagaoka, a Sencha Tea Master, is a specialist in traditional Japanese suiseki and has assembled a collection of several stones that once belonged to Yamamoto. Nakagawa is an expert in tea ceremony procedures and is a true suiseki connoisseur. His level of connoisseurship can be determined by viewing his stone collection and observing how he treats and cares for his stones. This article tells the story of how Nakagawa took a small Yamamoto stone, assembled elements to display this stone, and in doing so elevated its status as a collector’s item.

We will start with a small stone stored in a box made of Paulownia wood and calligraphy by Yamamoto. This documents that the stone came from the artist’s collection. The fact that Yamamoto had a box made for this stone and gave it the poetic name “Island of Awaji” is evidence of how much he valued this stone. The form of the stone resembles the form of Awaji, an island located between Honshu and Shikoku in the Seto Inland Sea. Yamamoto wrote on the front panel of the storage box “Natural stone, Island of Awaji, named by Shukyo.” This stone is 10.5 cm wide, 3.3 cm high, and 4.8 cm deep. At some point, a finely crafted hardwood base was made for this stone.
Over time, Nakagawa assembled numerous antique accoutrements to properly display this stone in a bronze tray (doban) and on a display table. In all, Nakagawa assembled six items and had a cabinet maker construct a larger three-drawer storage box, also made of Paulownia wood to house the stone and these items. Nakagawa then wrote on the front and back of the opening panel of the storage box. 

The writing on the second larger storage box provides the following information:
Red Seal “Souseki-an” (Nakagawa called his home Souseki-en) 
“Gaseki (Graceful stone)”
“Kamo-gawa Beninagashi-ishi”
Title “Island of Awaji" 
Roka Sensui-so Master (This is the name of the house where Shunkyo lived)
Yamamoto Shunkyo former collection
A set of display items organized by Souraku (Nakagawa artist name) (with a Red Seal “Souraku”)

Notice the difference in the style of writing on the small and larger boxes. 

The first or top sliding drawer has a larger compartment in the center to hold the stone in its original box. It is flanked on both sides with narrow compartments, and a square box behind. One of the narrow side compartments holds a handmade bamboo tamper. This is used for leveling the sand in the tray. The other narrow compartment holds two brushes. One is a hand-made feather brush used to spread sand in the tray and the second is a traditional calligraphy brush. This is used to remove any sand that may accidentally be on the stone in the tray. The small square-shaped compartment holds a bag of fine-grain, uniformly natural tan-colored sand that is used in the bronze tray.



The middle compartment holds an old, well-used bronze tray that is 17 cm wide, 10 cm deep, and 1.5 cm high including the feet. The patina gives the tray an aged appearance, a trait that is highly valued in viewing stone appreciation. 



The lower-most tray holds an exquisite post and rail display table with humpback stretchers and risers. The top of the table is made of slightly lighter colored burl wood. This display table is elegant without being elaborate, a perfect match in style, size, and color for the Yamamoto stone.



The seventh item in the box is a handwritten letter by Nakagawa to Tom Elias which describes his feelings about letting one of his beloved Yamamoto stone go to the United States in my care. 

These elements and the stone combine to document years of study and searching for the suitable elements needed to display the stone in two ways. One is to place the stone without his carved wood in a bronze tray with sand and the other is to display the stone in his base on a well-matched display table. The respect that Nakagawa showed for this stone and its previous owner, and the energy he expended clearly endorse him as a true viewing stone connoisseur. Our meetings and conversation with him have always been informative and inspiring. He sets a splendid example of the standard western stone enthusiasts should strive to achieve. 



Now that this stone and its accouterments have passed into my hands, I realize the significance of the responsibility passed on to me. This assemblage of items carries great significance to me knowing that approximately 100 years ago, it was admired by a famous Japanese artist, then treasured by a leading Japanese tea master, and now it is entrusted to me. This box and its contents serve as a valuable lesson for all of us interested in walking the pathway to stone connoisseurship. 


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