Landscape Suiseki Wins BCI Prize at 2025 AIAS National Congress

At the National Congress of the Italian Suiseki Lovers Association (AIAS), held in Cesano Maderno from October 10–12, 2025, the BCI Prize was awarded to an exceptional landscape suiseki owned by Mrs. Virna Marchi. Discovered in Liguria, the stone bears the poetic name Vision of a Distant World.

The story of this suiseki begins in August 2017, during a short summer holiday. As had become a tradition, Mrs. Marchi went stone searching (tanseki kō) at Lake Giacopiane with dear friends Ettore Gardini and Ivana. Throughout the day, countless stones were dug up and turned over, yet none seemed to spark genuine interest. As Jesús Quintas once observed in 2013—when he awarded my suiseki The Mystery of the Mountain with the AIAS Trophy—finding a stone that lives up to such comparisons can be exceptionally difficult. For years, Mrs. Marchi’s search had focused almost exclusively on mountain landscapes, to the exclusion of other forms.

Then, nestled between two enormous rocks, she noticed a stone. Flat on its underside, its upper surface was entirely concealed by earth and moss, obscuring its true shape. With patience and care, the group managed to extract it. As the moss and soil were gently removed from one side, the surface revealed intriguing qualities, convincing Mrs. Marchi to take the stone home.

Once there, the stone was placed beneath the benches that hold her bonsai collection, where it remained for several years. One day, while watering her plants, her gaze fell upon the stone, which suddenly revealed itself in a new way—almost magically—evoking a distant, unfamiliar landscape. From that moment came its name, Vision of a Distant World.

With the help of her husband, the stone was carefully cleaned, and he then skillfully carved a daiza from mahogany wood to complement it. The suiseki had never before been exhibited; its first public appearance was at the 2025 AIAS Congress.

Mrs. Marchi did not expect any recognition. When her name was announced for the BCI Prize, she was deeply moved—especially because the award was presented by Aldo Marchese, whom she regards as a highly knowledgeable expert and a true connoisseur and admirer of suiseki.