What is a Viewing Stone?

A fancy rock? Something that gives you a zen feeling? Something that I’m supposed to “see” something else in? Something that is “art” as defined by others? What is a Viewing Stone anyway? There are many definitions if you look to the internet for what exactly a Viewing Stone is. There are books written on the matter. There are many that have weighed in on how you describe the transformation from a rock in nature to a viewing stone in your home. What takes place that elevates and brings additional meaning… Rick had his own interpretation too, I have included it below.

Image: “Double Arch”

    “A viewing stone is an unaltered natural stone that suggests some aspect of the world of nature or one’s imagination and experience whether it be a scenic landscape, an object, or an embedded image/pattern or color. The stone is a small scale representation of a much larger world in most cases and is enjoyed more fully by reaching beyond the stone into an unseen world and spirituality. 

    A viewing stone is an indoor display most often presented with a carved wooden base fitted to the bottom of the stone in such a way as to provide optimal viewing. The intent is to elicit a response from the viewer. Viewing stones provide a way to take the viewer from what is an initial reaction, “Aha, I see it,” to something far greater and an emotional response. A good stone draws the viewer into an imagined world around the stone in empty space where a larger scene is envisioned.”

Rick Klauber