Our purpose is to establish an ongoing international dialogue about contemporary displays that will help to promote stone appreciation. We encourage members of the global viewing stone community to create new ways of displaying stones that reflect your life in the 21st century, your regional geology, your customs, craft and culture. Unfamiliar types of stones, bases, accessories and materials are welcome. We are not confined to displaying viewing stones in either the traditional Japanese or Chinese manner. These are options available to us and we should respect and acknowledge the established ways of displaying stones, but they are not the only way. It is timely to explore exciting new options to create stone displays that have bases, display tables, and other accessories that reflect our regional and national arts and crafts.

By Thomas S. Elias

This still life viewing stone display consist of two smooth slightly curving beach stones from Kyushi in southern Japan, two beautifully carved caps, together with a weathered driftwood. The stones were collected by Yoshida Yoichi, President of Genkai Aiseki-kai and well known stone collector and master woodcarver. Yoshida hand carves the stem and calyx cap-like features for these stones from rosewood or ironwood. He specializes in creating eggplant-like food stones. Food stone are typically associated with the Gobi Desert region of China, but there are not exclusive to that country.

These two stones are 13 cm long and 7 cm at its widest part, and 11.5 cm long and 4 cm at its widest part. They are in the collection of Thomas S. Elias and Hiromi Nakaoji.