Page 36 - BSAM 2017 Q1

Figure 3: This landscape stone with multiple jagged peaks forming an arc measures 13 x 6 x 14 cm.. The stone is displayed in a whimsical suiban as the rugged terrain portrayed by the stone is often surrounded by wild owers.
fossils are simply an impression imprinted into the stone, petri ed wood is the actual three-dimensional replacement of the original organic matter. In many pieces of petri ed stone, the tree rings can still be observed in a cross section just as they would have appeared when the tree was still living.
Perhaps these wonderful stones have been overlooked for use as viewing stones because they are not as o en seen pictured in classical suiseki and viewing stone literature. We tend to develop a standard and an expectation of only what we have seen and have grown accustomed. Possibly stone lovers have discounted fossils, including petri ed wood, because it once was a living organism, unlike other collectable stones. But what a lovely thought that living tree tissue became petri ed in stone form for hundreds of thousands of years. In many ways petri ed stones have a common denominator with all other stones that also went through some level of metamorphic change to end up in its present state.
I live in an area laden with beautiful stones, much of which is petri ed wood. When stone collecting in rivers and streams or in the high desert I o en am drawn and pick up stones that upon closer examination, is petrified wood. The more I have studied, observed and enjoyed these stones, the more I see petri ed wood as a legitimate and viable viewing stone. Petri ed wood specimens should no longer be overlooked as viewing stones, not only because of their timeless beauty, but because each individualized stone has a story to tell. Each stone conjures up thoughts of what environmental changes must have occurred to create such a lovely stone. Each stone stirs the imagination of brutal winters, blazing hot summers, harsh forest res or a cool spring. Enriched through the ages through water laden minerals, as erosion took place and brought these plant fossils to the surface, these pieces of stone have lain for centuries, polished by wind, sand and harsh elements, o en creating a beautiful patina and a naturally polished stone. ese harsh elements have also hewn imaginative and remarkable shapes transforming them into objects of artistic wonder to be appreciated for generations.
Rich in texture and shape, a petri ed wood viewing stone has many more options than the stereotypical log-like stone in a tray or wooden base. Petrified wood forms the appearance of beautiful landscapes
Figure 4: This stone was collected in the Blue Forest of Wyoming. The interior of Blue Forest stones is known for the deep black color inside of the stone. This small stone (5 x 5 x 8 cm.) is an example of a quartz inclusion resembling a waterfall.
34 | BCI | January/February/March 2017