March 21, 2000
Set in stone ART: Bunyong Lertnimitr's love of stones and rocks has meant a lifetime committed to his passion of collecting them and seeing beyond their cold surfaces Story By Chompoo Trakullertsathien Pictures by SOMKID CHAIJITVANIT Bunyong Lertnimitr ... "Through stones I can boost my inner strength. When I am tense, I relax by looking at my favourite stones, mainly the ones resembling scenery. These picturesque images calm me." When a small boat capsized in the Mekong River some 50 years ago, a youngster was in great panic, struggling hard to keep himself afloat. He survived by clinging to rocks in the river until he was rescued. Growing up by the river, the youngster felt an affinity with the natural environment, and with stones in particular. He spent much time trading stones and pebbles scattered along the river banks and that was the simplest way for him to appreciate the intrinsic beauty of stones. His current path, however, is still scattered with stones, albeit in a different manner. The zealous devotee of rare stones, Bunyong Lertnimitr, allows his imagination to run wild while looking at stones of different shapes, size and patterns. Over the decades, he has collected some 100,000 stones in his collection and given them captivating names. "A wide variety of sea, mountain and river stones stir my imagination. Some stones look like animals: bears, frogs, dogs, penguins, and owls. "I get real joy from collecting rare stones because they stir my imagination. Giving them unique names challenges me, too," said the 65-year-old stone admirer. Samples of his imaginativeness: Rhinoceros catches a duck; rain shelters pavilion; Chinese chessboard; small boats passes by thousands of hills; one corner of the ice mount; ever smiling; polar bear; the owl; listening to the frogs at the green grassy pool; attacking Pearl Harbour; a dog wrapped in chains; dog contemplating the Moon; and even the mobile phone. "Imagination is a very powerful resource for human beings. If wisely used, it can yield good, creative result. But in the chaotic world, we rarely develop our inner potential of letting our imagination just flow. As a result, many lose the ability to imagine what they are seeing or hearing," said the native of Ubon Ratchathani. In 1999 Mr Bunyong established the Rare Stone Museum. According to Mr Bunyong, stone museums do exist in China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. But his is the first of its kind in the Kingdom. "Apart from their aesthetic value, the museum can give people knowledge about Thailand's geology and ages of different rock layers. The place can serve as a stone information centre," said Mr Bunyong, adding geologists had been invited to his museum to identify the age of the rocks. The museum has attracted many visitors who have come from as far afield as Denmark, Sweden, South Africa, Spain, and France. "The stones are very beautiful and extremely impressive. The titles the collector has given them are very reflective of their nature. His labour of love literally takes my breath away," said Patrick Nagle, a tourist from San Francisco. In the future, Mr Bunyong plans to build a new and permanent museum to meet international standards. But with a limited budget, his project is on hold. Some five million baht have already been invested in the two-storey Rare Stone Museum. About 2,000 stones are on display-some as small as a mobile phone and others twice the size of a fully grown dolphin. All the exhibits are placed on wooden shelves and shown so visitors can get a clear view of the image Mr Bunyong wants to deliver. Audiences, however, can use their own imagination too. Apart from the Rare Stone Museum, last year Mr Bunyong also set up the Rare Stone Club which has 10 members. The members often get together to exchange ideas and discuss the stone-collecting situation in Thailand. "For me, collecting stones is more joyful if I expose myself to the outside world and learn what is going on in stone-collecting circles. Besides, exchanging knowledge and brainstorming our club can be developed in the right direction so many people can help the museum match international standards," said Mr Bunyong, who is president of the Rare Stone Museum and the Rare Stone Club. He is also vice president of the International Rare Stone Association, based in Korea. Explaining his passion for rare stones he said: "I love nature. I grew up among nature in a small village along the Mekong River. Nature provides me with beauty in all its different seasons," he said. His inner zeal for stones was reawakened when he came across strange-looking stones displayed in an exhibition at River City about a decade ago. "I bought three pieces home. After repeatedly looking at them, I was irresistibly attracted to them. They were so beautiful," he said. His entire life has been spent expanding his knowledge and collection of stones. He has travelled the country scouring local bazaars in his quest for unique stones. "Often I couldn't find the perfect stone but I had the wonderful opportunity to meet people who thought the way I did. We talked happily about stones. And we encouraged each other," he said. Unique stones can be found in many rock-blasting sites in Saraburi and Lop Buri. Explosions send waterfalls of rocks plunging to the ground to be reduced to gravel in local cement factories. These blasted stones are a hot commodity among stone collectors. "The rock-blasting business shocks me a lot. Majestic mountains have been exploded and reduced to hills. I would like to save the stone fragments and not just let them disappear into gravel. Villagers sell them for about 20 to 50 baht-prices I can afford," said Mr Bunyong. The beauty of the stones cannot be judged at first sight for most are covered with dirt and soil. The first task is to wash and polish the stones. "I can't trust others as they might accidentally damage them and then the whole shape of the stone will be destroyed, making the piece imperfect. That would be a great loss!" he said. The clean and glossy stones are then lined up to await Mr Bunyong's imagination. "At my leisure, I pick the stones up and turn them around, imagining what they look like. Very often, one has a number of eye-catching forms and then I choose the best spot. "When I find a strange-looking shape I often call my friends-it's a way of sharing our happiness. Most stone collectors feel the same," he said. Placed and glued on wooden bases, all the stones are completely natural-no cuts are made and no decorations are added. "The shape of the stone is kept intact. Nature is the greatest creator. The stone is meaningful to me as long as it remains in its original pattern," he said. Though some stir his imagination, many are left in the storage room. These are in the hard-to-imagine group. When finding a theme or name for the stones is hard, Mr Bunyong calls his friends in to help. "Some stones hold clear images. But often I get stuck and can't visualise what I am looking at. Then I need to spend more time contemplating these pieces," he said. One stone took Mr Bunyong six years before he came up with the final idea. "Last year at my opening ceremony many guests were invited. I saw one lady paying respect to the guests. It gave me inspiration. The stone looked like the saluting lady. Placed at the entrance of the museum and dubbed Sawasdee Kha, this stone is one of my masterpieces," said Mr Bunyong. While images like humans and animals require a similarity to the real thing, Mr Bunyong is especially fascinated with stones appearing in the shape of mountains, waterfalls, the sea, rainfall and trees. "These natural elements are free forms. And I feel free while looking at these kinds of stones," said Mr Bunyong. More than 1,000 exhibits feature natural scenery, and they include: Rafting on the Rapids, Golden Peninsula, The end of the Earth, One Corner of Huang Shan, and One Corner of the Ice Mount. Names appear in Thai, Chinese and English. As a bookworm, Mr Bunyong has derived many words from his poetic books. "I love reading Chinese poetry. The poets often describe how beautiful and fantastic nature is. So many of the names are inspired by the poets' words and inner feelings," he said. Among many names, Mr Bunyong is enchanted with Great Pleasure to Meet-the stone featuring two kissing penguins. "This is one of the most prominent pieces. The shape is perfect. When I got it I could immediately name it," he said. As for Thai and English names, Mr Bunyong seeks help from his friends. Last Children's Day, Mr Bunyong invited kids to come and sharpen their imagination by naming five pieces. "The kids were so excited. Their imaginations are superb. And they gave us such wonderful names such as Condo Hill, The Romantic Lovers of the Lake, and Amazing Pointer to the Sky, to name a few," said Mr Bunyong. His stone collection is categorised into three groups-river, sea, and mountain stones. And each has distinct characteristics. Cool and smooth, the river stone comes in different colours. Much harder, the sea stone has a fixed form which rarely changes. The fragile mountain stones has a wide varieties of shapes and forms, patterns and lines. To boost his collection, Mr Bunyong has visited many countries in search of rare pieces. China is his frequent destination. He has some 60 volumes in his private library, mainly in Chinese, about stones. "I can enrich my knowledge about rocks around the world. I learn about history and geology," he said. Not captivated merely by the natural allure of the stones, Mr Bunyong even learns philosophy from them. "Each stone has survived various hardships-strong winds and rainy storms, tossed by waves, burnt by the scorching sun, made smooth by the blast of sandstorms, and bumped and turned by other stones. And surprisingly they emerge amazing, eye-catching figures," he said. "Similarly, obstacles and hardships can strengthen and beautifully carve one's life. Though being hit by numerous problems, one must not succumb to them. Obstacles serve as a powerful force driving you to achieve your goal," he said. "We all can lead a successful life if we dare to face with obstacles and endure hardships. We become stronger like stone," he said. "Through stones I can boost my inner strength. When I am tense, I relax by looking at my favourite stones, mainly the ones resembling scenery. These picturesque images calm me," he said. "When I am in trouble, I learn philosophy from my stuff. And when I can manage my confused thoughts, I can eat as usual! That way I will live a longer and healthier life," he added. uThe Rare Stone Museum is at 1048-1054 Charoen Krung Road (between Soi 26 and Soi 28), Bang Rak, Bangkok. Call 236-5666, 236-5655, or 236-5712 for details. The Museum is open daily from 8 am to 5 pm. Admission is 100 baht for foreigners, 30 baht for Thai adults and 10 baht for students and monks.		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