Japanese Stone Gardens by Stephen Mansfield

Author:Stephen Mansfield
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 978-1-4629-0598-0
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing

PAGE 55 The positions of stones are numbered in this print, which shows the increasing ornamentation of gardens in the Edo period.

Diamond and other geometrically shaped granite stones are a common motif on the approach paths to temples with gardens.

Ishi usu (flat-surfaced millstones) are sometimes used in gardens for their rustic effect. This stone has been integrated into the design of a garden wall.

NATURAL STONE, QUARRIED STONE

The mountains near Kyoto are rich in beautiful stones, which have been treasured as garden materials since ancient times. However, a reduced supply of natural stone in recent years, especially the weathered variety favored by traditionalists, combined with the influences from new styles of architecture, has led to the widespread use of processed stone, quarried and cut and with the surfaces sometimes polished. Synthetic materials, long held at bay, have finally entered modern gardens in the form of cement, plastic, steel, metal and even carbon fiber trimmings.

Kiirishi (cut rocks), traditionally used for making ornamental features such as lanterns, bridges and water basins, are also used as rocks in contemporary gardens. A variety of methods, including polishing, the application of matte lacquer, grinding and acid burning are used to alter the surface and color of stone.

Purists maintain that only stones in their natural form should be used. Landscape gardener and writer Erik Borja holds that “Under no circumstances should quarried stones be used in a Zen garden because the process of extracting them from the ground reduces them to the level of debris, with no sheen or soul.“ Others would argue that from raw matter, exquisite sculptural forms can be fashioned in both the spirit of Zen, nature and the soul/personality of the artist or stonecutter.

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