FEATURED BOOK REVIEW

 Dol AE Geurim Publishers. 346 pages. No ISBN.  

This impressive volume documents the display of exceptional viewing stones from throughout the country at the 2023 National Suseok Exhibition held in Gyeongju, South Korea. Each year, the Association host a national exhibition where members of regional Suseok associations can assemble and showcase natural stones. This 41^st national exhibition consists of wide range of stone types, mainly displayed in shallow ceramic or bronze trays with sand or in hand-carved wood bases.

The elaborate opening ceremonies with its congratulatory letters, poems, lecture, and musical performace, is included in the first twenty-pages of this book. The remaining pages are devoted to high quality photographs of individual stone displays, one per page. This layout coupled with the large format, 23 x 29.5 cm, gives readers an opportunity to closely examine the detailed features of each stone. Exploring the diversity of rock types and methods of display illustrate the strength, vitality, and extent of Suseok appreciation in Korea.

A careful study of the types of stones and methods of display in this books shows that Korean Suseok is distinct from Chinese Scholar Stones and Japanese Suiseki. This distinction is sometimes subtle, and, in some cases, the influences of Chinese and Japanese practices can be seen. 

Korean Suseok is vastly underappreciated by viewing stone enthusiasts in non Asian countries. To truly understand the meaning of Asian stone appreciation and the aesthetic concepts embraced by the study and admiration of beautiful and thought provoking lithic pieces, one must be as familiar with Korean practices as they are with Chinese and Japanese approaches.