Classifying Suseok
(to be continued.)
<2>Classification by
collecting places.
1) Hachunseok (Kaangdol*)
: Hachun means river.These stones are found in or
around rivers.Korea has many rivers where you can find candidates for suseoks.
*Kaang is another name for
river.Dol is another name for seok.
2) Haeseok (Badadol**) :
Hae means sea.These stones are found on the beach or seaside.Shapes of haeseoks
are usually simple,and many of them can be organized as choosanseok or mooniseok.
**Bada is another Korean name
for sea.
FIG 17 These small badadols show why a simple stone can
be a wonderful abstract stone (choosanseok).Left one can also be classified as
mooniseok.I can see a dolphin jumping out from sea surface.Left :Byung Ju Lee's
collection from a beach,Ulsan. Sizes:W8.5xH10.5xD8.5cm. Right , Choon Bae's
collection. Sizes:W7xH8xD4cm .Right one is adapted from the monthly magazine of
suseok moonwha.
3) Sanseok : San
means mountain.We call stones found from mountain valley or mountain side as
sanseok.Ligurian suiseki or Korean sanseok can be classified in this
category.Shapes of these stones are ussually very diverse and good,but in many
cases the surface quality isn't good.We have to remove mud coverings from
stones.In Korea,many collecting places for sanseok are closed and collecting
stones are strickly prohibited because collecting sites can be ruined by digging.
In aspects of shape and surface quality,badadol and sanseok can have some
problems,that is,badadol has good surface quality but it is too simple;sanseok
is very good in shape but surface quality isn't good,while many kaangdol fulfill
both of requirements for suseok.
<3> Classification by addition of
modification.
1) Zayunseok : Zayun
is nature or natural condition.Stones that aren't artificially modified can be
classified in this category.In a sense of Naturalism in our culture,zayunseoks
are the only candidates for suseoks.
2) Gagongseok : Gagong
means addtion of artificial modification such as cutting bottoms.This is usually
not permitted in Korean suseok culture.We accept artificial modification only in
case of surface grinding for some of hwamoonseok(flower-patterned)(FIG
18). Even in this case,we don't regard
these stones like suseok,instead they are called as "miseok".Mi
means beauty. Miseok is stone ground to show the flowers on their surface,which
usually cannot beutifully seen without grinding.
FIG 18 Miseoks.The left one shows sun flowers, (Sizes:W29xH40xD12cm),and the
right shows roses (Sizes:W27xH56xD12cm), collections of Seohaesuseok,a suseok
shop.
<4>Other type of classification of
suseok by their specific character and shape.
|
Googapseok : Googap
means turtle back.These stones have incisions of white lines covering the
surface with regular intervals between lines,therefore,they look like turtle
back and are very rare(Fig 19).This
suseok is highly evaluated in Korea,because turtle is regarded as lucky
animal here. |
FIG 19 Googapseoks.The bigger two were collected from the mountian side in Ulsan
city.The smaller one was collected on a beach in Oregon (Usa),but it can also be
classified as googapseok.Sizes:left W10xH11xD5.5cm, right W7xH11xD8cm, center
W7xH5.5xD4cm.
|
Golseok (Piadol): Gol
(Pia) means bone.You can imagine animal bones from this stone(FIG
20). |
FIG 20 This beautiful suseok shows what is golseok.This can be classified as
goeseok.Chang-II Cho's collection.Sizes:W41xH17xD16.
|
Baekupzildol : Bae
is oriental pear and kupzil is surface or skin.We call this stone as
baekupzildol based on the stone's surface character,which looks like surface
of oriental pear. |
|
Youngseok : Young
means an oriental dragon.Youngseok is very similar with your Ligurian
stones.They were originally found on the ground of mountain valley or
surface of seaside,and thereafter,collectors have to dig the ground to find
youngseok.Mineral composition of youngseok is limestone as yours.Color is
generally dark gray or dark blue.Surface is relatively soft and looks not
the best,however shape is amazing. |
One nice sample of youngseok.
I don't know exactely why they called
the stone youngseok.However I presume that they adopt name of Young to express
the amazing variability of this stone's shape.The oriental dragon Young has
different image from that of western dragon.It does not have any wing and is not
notorious for human being.Young is rather a symbol of King or a Great Man.Young
has been believed to freely control weather and change everything it
wants.Therefore young has a kind of almighty creature.
|
Pibudol : Pibu
means skin or surface.Pibudol has very special surface that can be a major
viewing point. |
<5>Classification
by Evaluation.
1) Myungseok : This
means masterpiece.If everybody who see a stone feel deep impression from a
stone,you may call that Myungseok.Viewers have to feel a kind of philosophy from
the stone,then it can be named as myungseok.Korean collectors used to say "Ilsaeng
ilseok : Il means one ,saeng means life or life span.Therefore, the phrase means
: only one masterpiece stone can be found along a collector's life span.
2) Kaseok : Ka
means beauty or high quality.When someone who sees a stone considers that it is
a very good stone ,it can be a kaseok.
3) Suseok :This
is also a name of Korean Viewing stone.However, not every stones can be
suseok,unless they have at least one merit as a viewing stone or viewing point.
<6>Classification by Size.
1) Sopumseok : Sopum
means small material.Sopumseok is a small stone with less than 15cm in size.
2) Pyozunseok : Pyozun
means standard.Pyozunseok is standard sized-stone ranged from 15 to 45 cm.
2) Daepumseok :
Daepum is big material.Size of daepumseok is generally over 45 cm.
3) Zungwonseok : Zungwon
means garden.Zungwomseok is bigger than the limit that you can lift by both
hands.
NB: a stone can be classified
in more than one category.
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