Korean stone art
Encyclopedia
Korean stone art or Suseok began as votive art over 3000 years ago, and began to be seen as worthy of scholars a thousand years ago. The art usually works on three scales: large installations of monumental shaped stones as ornamental gates; medium sized shaped stones for landscape decoration within Korean gardens
; and the smaller shaped stones for scholar's tables which is the most important. It grew from the Chinese influence of Chinese scholar's rocks
(Gongshi), which replicated small mountains upon writing tables, fan-shaped agates that drew upon classical creation, myths and shaped landscape stones and rocks within Korean gardens
.
or First Nations
' memory markers. The shamanistic belief of nature being alive, and large scaled elements of nature having souls, has led to the continued use of massive sculpted stone in natural forms throughout Korean traditional entranceways as the firstgrowth cedarwood for gates is now rare.
As Confucian scholarship ascended into the golden age of the Joseon
dynasty, scholar rocks became an essential fixture of the writing tables of the yangban
class of scholars, and a brilliant example of Confucian art
. The repeated Japanese invasions of Korea, culminating with the 50 year occupation period from 1895 to 1945, saw great theft of Korean scholar stones as well as theft of larger pieces taken to Japan from Korean gardens
or Seon garden and put into the Zen garden without reference to origins. Recreating a historical approach to Korean scholar stones is difficult, but it is being done.
Smaller ceramic versions of scholar's rocks have been seen cast in celadon, and used as brush-holders, and as well as water droppers for scholar's calligraphy
- particularly in the shape of small mountains.
Korean gardens
A Korean garden is natural, simple, and unforced, they are less formal and seek to merge with the natural world. They have a history that goes back more than two thousand years, but is little known in the west...
; and the smaller shaped stones for scholar's tables which is the most important. It grew from the Chinese influence of Chinese scholar's rocks
Chinese scholar's rocks
Chinese scholars' rocks or Gongshi , also known as scholar stones or viewing stones, are small shaped or naturally occurring rocks appreciated by Chinese scholars from the Song dynasty onwards, and quite frequently found in traditional Chinese gardens.The most highly regarded stones are lingbi...
(Gongshi), which replicated small mountains upon writing tables, fan-shaped agates that drew upon classical creation, myths and shaped landscape stones and rocks within Korean gardens
Korean gardens
A Korean garden is natural, simple, and unforced, they are less formal and seek to merge with the natural world. They have a history that goes back more than two thousand years, but is little known in the west...
.
Introduction
Early on important sites within landscape were marked with shaped stones, much as those distance markers on post roads. Burial sites were as well given permanent marking by large scale tumulus or mounds, often surrounded by anthropomorphic shaped stones much akin to that of InuitInuit
The Inuit are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic regions of Canada , Denmark , Russia and the United States . Inuit means “the people” in the Inuktitut language...
or First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
' memory markers. The shamanistic belief of nature being alive, and large scaled elements of nature having souls, has led to the continued use of massive sculpted stone in natural forms throughout Korean traditional entranceways as the firstgrowth cedarwood for gates is now rare.
As Confucian scholarship ascended into the golden age of the Joseon
Joseon Dynasty
Joseon , was a Korean state founded by Taejo Yi Seong-gye that lasted for approximately five centuries. It was founded in the aftermath of the overthrow of the Goryeo at what is today the city of Kaesong. Early on, Korea was retitled and the capital was relocated to modern-day Seoul...
dynasty, scholar rocks became an essential fixture of the writing tables of the yangban
Yangban
The yangban were part of the traditional ruling class or nobles of dynastic Korea during the Joseon Dynasty. The yangban were either landed or unlanded aristocracy who comprised the Korean Confucian idea of a "scholarly official." In reality, they were basically administrators and bureaucrats who...
class of scholars, and a brilliant example of Confucian art
Confucian art
Confucian art is art inspired by the writings of Confucius, and Confucian teachings. Confucian art originated in China, then spread westwards on the Silk road, southward down to southern China and then onto Southeast Asia, and eastwards through northern China on to Japan and Korea. It still...
. The repeated Japanese invasions of Korea, culminating with the 50 year occupation period from 1895 to 1945, saw great theft of Korean scholar stones as well as theft of larger pieces taken to Japan from Korean gardens
Korean gardens
A Korean garden is natural, simple, and unforced, they are less formal and seek to merge with the natural world. They have a history that goes back more than two thousand years, but is little known in the west...
or Seon garden and put into the Zen garden without reference to origins. Recreating a historical approach to Korean scholar stones is difficult, but it is being done.
Smaller ceramic versions of scholar's rocks have been seen cast in celadon, and used as brush-holders, and as well as water droppers for scholar's calligraphy
Calligraphy
Calligraphy is a type of visual art. It is often called the art of fancy lettering . A contemporary definition of calligraphic practice is "the art of giving form to signs in an expressive, harmonious and skillful manner"...
- particularly in the shape of small mountains.
Genres of Korean stone art
- mountain view (horizontal and vertical)
- shaped jade mountains
- shaped rock crystal mountains
- abstract shape
- overhanging shapes
- organic mineral shapes (calcites, pyrites)
- stalctite and stalagmite stelae
- shamanistic shape
- single stone buddhas
- multiple stone buddhas
- astrological year figures (dragon, snake, monkey etc.)
- tree and house shapes
- fossilized fish
- fossilized insects
- stalctite and stalagmite stelae
- enhanced coloured stones
Standard reference work
- Soosuk, #72 in a series of books on Korean culture, Daewonsa Publishing Co, Ltd (Korea, 1989), ISBN 89-369-0072-2 (in Korean)
See also
- Gongshi or Chinese scholar's rocks
- SuisekiSuisekiis the Japanese art of stone appreciation and may also refer to the objects of the appreciation—the stones. Suiseki may take many forms including those that bear a resemblance to human figures, animal figures, landscape forms, and those which are purely abstract. Suiseki grew from the Gongshi...
- Korean artKorean artKorean art is art originating or practiced in Korea or by Korean artists, from ancient times to today. Korea is noted for its artistic traditions in pottery, music, calligraphy, and other genres, often marked by the use of bold color, natural forms, and surface decoration.-Introduction:The earliest...
- Korean sculptureKorean sculptureKorean sculpture has a long history, and was exported abroad, primarily during the Baekje period to Japan, where Korean Buddhist sculptures from the seventh century still exist. In the main Korean sculptures were of wood, then stone, and then ceramics, with votive sculptures being of the greatest...
- Korean culture
- List of Korea-related topics
External links
- http://shimagata.tripod.com/srhist.htmIntroduction to Chinese scholar's rocksChinese scholar's rocksChinese scholars' rocks or Gongshi , also known as scholar stones or viewing stones, are small shaped or naturally occurring rocks appreciated by Chinese scholars from the Song dynasty onwards, and quite frequently found in traditional Chinese gardens.The most highly regarded stones are lingbi...
, for influential styles imported or copied] - General jumpoff page for the context of scholar rocks, viewing stones, comparatively within the Chinese, Korean, Japanese and Vietnamese traditions.
- Rarer stones, resonant or chime rocks
- A lacquer work by Yong Ju Jung, a Korean artist based in Hawaii shows scholar rock influence in contemporary lacquer work.