24270 - Maguro-Ishi Mountain Suiseki/Bonseki

A compact stone, certainly bonseki sized, it fits in the palm of your hand. It comes in a box bearing the seal of the Jiso-an store, with the inscription 'Kintoki-yama'. The stone is Kamuikotan, of the Maguro (black) type, from the Takano river in Yase, north-east Kyoto, and has a very good black colour. Examining the base, it's clear that the stone has been treated to darken it, but not heavily. This is very common for Kamuikotan stones, so one has to factor that into any assessment of quality. The underneath also shows signs of working, but by hand, not machine.

Visually, the compact multi-layered shapes are very pleasing from at least two angles, and the variation in stone texture under the peak suggests swirling mists below a lonely mountain. It's very smooth in texture, with some ancient pitting and fracturing that has smoothed over countless years. It is uncommon to find a good mountain shape of this size in this stone type.

Mount Kintoki is one of Japans 300 famous mountains. It is a rounded mountain, at 1212 metres or 4000ft, and in folk legend the birthplace of Sakato Kintoki, famous for his legendary strength. He appears in many woodcut prints, anime and figurines. There is a poem written on the inside that relates to this.

The daiza fits well, but it can be tricky to get it just right. Without forcing, it can fit and stay on the stone when you lift it (with a safety hand below!). Described as Chinese sandalwood, it appears to be red sandalwood (Pterocarpus santalinus). Please notice how the piece of wood was chosen so that the flow of the grain matches the shape of the top edge of the daiza (pics 5&6). This is not amateur work.

In summary, this is a very high quality stone of it's type that has been in a private collection for considerable time, showing a strong sense of age and patina. I commend it to any enthusiasts collection.

Suiban shown for illustration, not included in sale.

Size: 108 x 72 x 110mm (4¼ x 2⅞ x 4¼ in)

SKU: 24270

Condition: Stone - excellent. Daiza - very good, some small marks.

Provenance: From the estate of an unnamed Japanese Suiseki enthusiast.

Source & Type: Kamogawa-ishi - Yase-Maguro

Kamogawa stones come from the Kamo river, and often the tributaties that run into it, the Kibune, Kuruma and Takano. They are possibly the most collected of the river stones, along with Sagiawa and Setagawa. There are numerous sub-types, too many to define here. A good reference can be found at: https://suiseki.jpn.org/kamogawaishi1.php