Classification2

Suseok World

classification1

classification2

collecting places.

appendix

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

figure17bis.jpg (20421 octets) 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.

figure18bis.jpg (80915 octets) 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.

figure19bis.jpg (24035 octets) 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).

figure20bis.jpg (28941 octets) 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.

youngseokbis.jpg (17807 octets) 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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