Suiseki

Suiseki are "Viewing Stones", either collected or cut from a larger stone for their aesthetic qualities. 

A common reaction to the idea of 'Suiseki' is to laugh at recalling picking up interesting stones from a beach as a child; Well the ancient Chinese ran with this idea and created a whole art form from it, with carved bases and carefully chosen angles of presentation.

From valuing the stone for it's innate qualities like colour or hardness, to seeing them as tools for reflection and a connection to the Earth, Suiseki can charm us just as those stones on the beach once did, and more besides.