Classification1

CLASSIFYING SUSEOK.

<1> Classification by Shape.

1) KYUNGSEOK : Kyung means natural scenery and seok means stone. Kyungseok is imitate stone for natural sceneries or natural materials. Kyungseok is regarded to be most important and valuable in Korean suseok culture as in rest of world.Kyungseok has several sub-categories such as "SANKYUNGSEOK"(means mountain view stone),"DOKYUNGSEOK"(means island stone),and so on.

A) SAN-KYUNGSEOK : San means mount.This category include a mountain and mountain chain.

1) Sub-category by number of peaks :

	Danbong-sanseok: Danbong means single peak and san means mountain or peak.This stone looks like a mountain with a single peak.
	Ssangbong-sanseok:ssangbong means two peaks.This stone looks like a mount with two peaks or two mountains.(FIG 3).

Fig 3 .This dark gray stone shows two peaks by a valley.This can be classified as ssangbong-sanseok.Byung Ju Lee's collection from Namhankaang.This stone has very good surface patina.Sizes:W18xH7xD9cm.

Yunsanseok: Yun means link or series and Yunsan means series of mountains or mountain chain.This suseok has more than three mountains or peaks that look like mountain chain.(FIG 4).

Fig 4 This is an example of Yunsanseok.This was collected from Zirisan (a famous mountain for stone collection).The surface texture is not the best,but shape is beautiful,because this is sanseok.Byung Ju Lee's collection.Sizes:W26xH7xD9cm.

2) Sub-category by view distance:distant or close.

	Wonsanseok:Won means distant.Therefore this kind of suseok looks like distant mountain that usually has very dark color(FIG 3 and 4).
	Keunsanseok: Keun means close.This suseok imitate close view of mountain.They usually has relatively light color compared to wonsanseok.

B) DO-KYUNGSEOK (Sumhyungseok): Do means island, Sum is another name of island and hyung means shape.This stone looks like an island. (FIG 5).

Fig 5 This suseok shows an example of do-kyungseok based on the several inlets in the front side,and a cliff on the right end.This suseok,one of my favorite stones,is a good example of suseoks collected in Namhankaang area (very good shape, surface texture and patina) Sizes:W24xH7xD8cm.

C) HOSOOSEOK : Hosoo means lake .This classification can be sub-divided by the scale of scenery around the depression.

	Hosooseok:this suseok should have a relatively large depression surrounded by big scale scenery(FIG 6)
	Dhamhyungseok: Dham means small pond and hyung means shape.Therefore,this suseok usually has relatively small depression surrounded by a relatively small scenery such as part of mountain,hill or rock.
	Ongdalsaem: Ongdalsaem means spring.This suseok has to imitate small spring found around mountain side.

Fig 6 This one showing a lake on the top of the mountain can be classified as hosooseok.This stone is one of my favorite suseoks,because I imagine our sacred mountain,Baekdoosan (a great lake is located on top of that mountain),from this stone. Sizes:W18.5xH6xD8cm.

D) PYUNWONSEOK : Pyungwon means plain .Stones, that show plain with small mountain or hill on the far side of view,which can make our view wide and distant and make the stone looking like very wide plain,are preferred for this category.

E) DANSEOK : Dan means step.This category of stone can have a single or more than two steps.In case of single step,it looks like pyungwonseok that has relatively narrow plain (FIG 7).

Fig 7 This stone is a good example of danseok.Simple daezwa is well matched to this kind of relatively simple suseok. Byung Ju Lee's collection,collected from Taewhakaang. Sizes:W29xH5.5xD11cm.

F) TOPASEOK : Topa means small plain close to mountain.Topaseok usually shows complex view of mountain on one side and small plain on the other side (FIG 8).

Fig 8 A Topaseok that has a mountain on the left side and a plain on the right side.The bootm of this dark blue stone isn't flat,therefore,relatively thick daezwa was used.Buyng Ju Lee's collection,Namhankaang. Sizes: W28xH10.5xD12cm.

G) POKPOSEOK : Pokpo means waterfall. This suseok imitate waterfall with inclusions of white colored crystal or limestone (FIG 9).

Fig 9 This small stone shows an amazing view of pokposeok that consists of two peaks and a valley with waterfall.Unknown person's collection.Collected from Keumkaang. Sizes:W15xH8xD5cm.

H) BAWIKYUNGSEOK : Bawi means rock and kyung means scenery.This stone looks like rock on the mountain or seaside (FIG 10).

FIG 10 This green stone collected from Taewhakaang is kind of bawikyungseok that shows a costal rock with cliff.Byung Ju Lee's collection. Sizes:W20xH13xD6cm.

I) JIPHYUNGSEOK : Jip means house and hyung shape,so it means house-shaped stone (FIG 11).We classify this type of suseok as one of kyungseok,since Korean traditional houses have adopted well with our mother nature.

FIG 11 This small green stone is an example of jiphyungseok collected from Namhankaang.Byung Ju Lee's collection. Sizes:W11xH8XD9.

L) OTHERS :

1) Tunnel,cave and shelter :

	Kwantongseok : Kwantong means tunnel. Therefore this stone has one or several tunnels as a major viewing point (FIG 12).
	Cheomahyungseok : Cheoma means shelter.This stone has shelter as major viewing point .
	Dongkool-hyungseok : Dongkool means a cave.This stone has a cave as a major point of view.

FIG 12 These two suseoks are examples for kwantongseok.I imagine lips around half-hopened mouth from the left stone collected from Namhankaang .Sizes:W14xH9xD5cm.The right one can also be classified as choosangseok and come from Indonesia. Sizes:W11.5xH21xD11cm . Byung Ju Lee's Collection.

2) Hyungsangseok : Hyungsan means shape of object.Therefore these stones usually imitate living creatures including humanbeings or animals.This category can be subdivided:

	Inmoolhyungseok : Inmool means human object.So this stone imitates human being such as Buhda .
	Dongmoolhyungseok : Dongmool means animal.This type of suseok imitates animal.

FIG 13 Hyungsangseok.I remind head of sphink or a leopard from the left one.The right stone imitates an alien head .The left one was collectedvby my late father from Keumhokaang.The right one was collected by myself from beach area,Ulsan. Sizes :left W10xH11xD5.5 ; right W4.5xH5.5xD3.5cm.

3) Mooniseok : Mooni means design,painting or pattern on the surface of materials.This type of suseoks can be subdivided by several subcategories :

	Hwamoonseok : Hwamoon means flower pattern.This kind of suseok has flower design on its surface (Left stone in Fig 14).
	Moonjaseok :Moonja means character or letter.This stone has Korean or Chinese characters on its surface.

Fig 14 These two suseoks show examples of mooniseok.I imagine blooming Japanese Apricots from left stone,and a chimeric creature of human and horse in greek myth (I don't know the name) from the right one.Byung Ju Lee's collection.The left one collected from Taewhakaang ( Sizes:W14.5xH12xD5.5cm);the right one from east coast of Korea (Sizes:W8xH13xD7cm).

Fig 15 This suseok is another example of mooniseok. This one was collected by my late father from an upper stream of Kyunghokaang.I imagine animals including a boar and a snake are racing to the same goal based on the withe convex inclusions of crystal in the dark gray background.Sizes :W18xH10xH7cm.

4) Choosangseok :

FIG 16 A small haeseok shown here explains why many Korean collectors prefer the simple Badadol (haeseok,see next page) to others.Byung JU Lee's collection from a northern Oregon beach (Usa). Sizes:W10xH10.5xD6.5 cm.

5) Goeseok : Goe means curious or grotesque thing.Goeseok is similar to the original Chinese Scholar stones (see FIG 20).

To be continued next page.

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