artisan's name unknown
Stepping Stone (Fumiwake-ishi) , 18th century (Mid Edo Period)
Stone
7” X 16” X 14”
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This stone is called Fumiwake ishi (踏分け石), which means “stepping stone at the dividing point.” In a tea garden, oblong stepping stones gently guide one’s feet along a single path....
This stone is called Fumiwake ishi (踏分け石), which means “stepping stone at the dividing point.” In a tea garden, oblong stepping stones gently guide one’s feet along a single path. At a certain moment, the walker arrives at a raised, rounded stone like this one. Its presence signals that the way ahead will split, standing at the quiet fork where two paths begin to diverge.
Tea gardens have become rare, and with them the original use of such stones has faded. Inventive connoisseurs now regard works like this as autonomous art objects. One can imagine it placed inside a home, resting on a wooden floor, its compact volume holding the room in a subtle field of gravity. Its strong, calm presence carries a creative energy akin to the best minimalist sculpture, yet it was made centuries earlier, as a simple stone that asks a body to pause and choose a direction.
Tea gardens have become rare, and with them the original use of such stones has faded. Inventive connoisseurs now regard works like this as autonomous art objects. One can imagine it placed inside a home, resting on a wooden floor, its compact volume holding the room in a subtle field of gravity. Its strong, calm presence carries a creative energy akin to the best minimalist sculpture, yet it was made centuries earlier, as a simple stone that asks a body to pause and choose a direction.
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