Turtle and Turtle Shell Stones
An examination of turtle and turtle-shell stones in past and present
By Thomas S. Elias, July 2024, Photos by Thomas S. Elias and Daan Giphart
Rock forms suggesting turtles or tortoises, and rock patterns resembling tortoise shells have occupied a special place in Asian stone appreciation practices. This shelled reptile is deeply embedded in ancient Chinese and Japanese beliefs and mythology. Thus, it is not unusual to see the turtle image expressed in rocks with skillfully carved bases that reinforce a turtle’s image, or paintings.
Small turtle ponds are sometimes seen at Buddhist temples in China and Japan. Feeding these emblems of longevity, strength, and endurance is considered praiseworthy. These turtles were also believed to symbolize the universe with the dome-shaped upper part of their shells identified with the sky and heavens; while the lower flat carapace represented the earth.
Turtles sunning themselves in a small pond at a Buddhist temple in Wuhan, China. Note the similarity between the turtle’s shell and this small turtle shell stone.
According to the ancient Chinese Book of Rites, the turtle is considered one of four sacred animals that presided over the Four Directions and Four Seasons. The turtle represented the north and winter; while the unicorn, dragon, and tiger represented the other directions and seasons.
We see the turtle represented in several ways. The first is a rock form that suggests a turtle. The lighter-colored stone is a small Gobi Desert ventifact. The small gray-colored is a Lingbi rock from Jiangsu Province.
A second and more common type is a stone with a skillfully carved wood base that suggests, often literately, the legs and head of a turtle as seen below. This type leaves little to the imagination as to what this display references. The high-domed rock with a fine reticulate pattern is a fossil coral head. The low smooth, nearly flat Dahua stone was removed from a river in Guangxi province in southwestern China. In both examples, the carved wood base is largely the key to the evoked image the stone projects.
A fine example of a Japanese turtle stone is seen below in this Abe River stone from Shizuoka, Japan. The base suggests the legs and lower body of a turtle and is not as explicit as some Chinese-made bases for turtle stones.
A third type is a rounded to disc-shaped rock whose polygonal surface pattern resembles a turtle’s shell. These stones, also known as septaria, are seen most often in China but occur in Japan, the Philippines, and likely in other Asian countries.
They vary from small hand-held rocks to larger ones that reach 40 cm (16 inches) across, rarely larger. These are found in sedimentary rock and need to be dug from the earth. They are very hard and believed to be formed by the drying and cracking of sedimentary rock that was once covered with water. In some cases, calcite deposits are seen in the cracks. One source claims these stones were produced in thick dolomite rocks approximately 450 million years old.
Most turtle shell stones are covered with hard mud or soft rock. It is necessary to remove this outer coating or shell to reveal the stone and its surface pattern. Stones with a more natural appearance are better than aggressively cleaned and polished rocks.
The turtle shell stones from Hunan province in China are encased in layers of iron oxide-rich rock that must be skillfully removed with a stone hammer. Many encasements must be opened before finding a good turtle stone.
Turtle shell stones are found in several regions in China. The stones from each province are often distinct from those found in other provinces. The main provinces where turtle stone pattern stones are found are Anhui, Chongqing, Guizhou, Guangxi, Hubei, Hunan, and the Yellow River. There is a more block-like stone with ridges and furrows in China that is also called a turtle shell pattern stone, but these are used in wall construction and root-over-rock penjing displays.
A large Japanese turtle-shell pattern stone is displayed on an outdoor plinth at the Kitami Shrine in Kitami City, Hokkaido, Japan. This stone is an emblem of longevity and good luck. In Japan, this stone is called a kikkou-seki.
The shape of these stones and their patterns are natural. I much prefer the more natural-appearing stones as seen below. Turtle and turtle shell stones help remind us of these testudinate creatures in Asian mythology and past and present beliefs.
I thank Daan Giphart for reviewing the manuscript and adding information about the turtle shell stones from Hunan province.
