Serenity in the Japanese Garden

12th Century Bronze Buddha

One of our guests' favorite gardens is our Japanese Garden, which is notable for its age and that it was the first privately owned Japanese garden in North America. Mary Clark Thompson was a woman who lead the way in garden design to be sure.

And except for the waterlilies that appear in the garden's ponds during summer, this garden features no flowers. But that does not diminish its beauty. Much to the contrary, it enhances it as it allows the visitor to quietly take in the natural surroundings simply accented by stone lanterns, the Tea House, and of course, our 12th century bronze Japanese Buddha. If you talk to the guests about the garden, this larger than life-sized statue is the one piece of the garden that is almost always mentioned for the statue has an amazing and palpable serene presence.

The statue sits in the corner of the garden nearest to the Roman Bath -- always peaceful and always quiet. It is a peace that is infectious for most. But there is a story about this statue rumored to have taken place after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Supposedly two local men were going to destroy the statue with axes as some sort of punitive act for the bombing. And sure enough, there are two cuts in the chest of the statue that had to be created with a bladed instrument and some degree of force. But only two cuts.

Is the story real? I don't truly know but I've heard it from a couple of sources and it is at least part of the Sonnenberg lore some like to share. If it is true, why did the men stop at one stroke each? Did that peaceful gaze look down into their hearts and cool their thirst for vengeance? Perhaps.

Two cuts are visible on the statue's chest

Offerings often appear in the statue's hands

Marking the Day in Your Garden

Waiting for dawn at Stonehenge on the Winter Solstice (photo: Wikimedia: Mike Peel, www.mikepeel.net)

Tomorrow is the Winter Solstice. Here we will have a mere 8 hours & 59 minutes of daylight, our shortest of the year, with the sun raising at 7:38 am and setting at 4:37 pm (source). This is almost 6 and half hours less sunlight than we see on the Summer Solstice.

Our ancient ancestors marked these days well for their very survival was dependent upon knowing times to plant, harvest, animal migrations, livestock birthing, or other seasonal observances and the solar clock was steady and unchanging in marking the year for them. Structures such as the 5,000 year old Newgrange in Ireland and the Temple of Amun in Karnak, Egypt mark the winter solstice. Other sites are scattered about the entire world from many different peoples and eras that mark the solstices, equinoxes, stars, lunar cycles and more.

You can welcome the sun into your garden and landscape as well with very simple materials and techniques creating your own solar wheel calendar.

Marking the Solstice in Your Garden

1. Pick a spot with an unobstructed view to the eastern horizon. A 360 view is even better as you can see and mark sunsets if you wish, but you at least want to see the rising sun.
2. Get a stake with a length of rope loosely attached. Length is your choice as it will be half the diameter of the finished wheel calendar.
3. Push the stake into the spot that will be the center.
4. Materials used are up to you - purchased pavers, found river stones, decorative stakes, or anything else that suits your tastes and garden. There is no right or wrong answer.
5. And the exact design is also up to you. You can use smaller stones to mark the circle's circumference by placing a stone at the end of the rope every couple of feet (or as needed) around the circle's edge. I personally only marked the solstices and equinoxes and did not create a full circle.
6. Use the same process to mark the solstice - the rope should point directly from the center reference point to the spot where the sun break's the horizon at dawn. Put a special marker there. You can repeat throughout the year for other key days so save your stake and rope.
7. I like to use a large flat stepping stone for the center point. Something I can stand or sit on to see the sun rise over my marker on my marked days. Move the stone as needed to mark or remark days.

If you expand out the idea, whole garden areas could be created and aligned in this manner. This is a great activity to share with young people.

Mythical Spotlight: Pan

One of the things you will quickly realize when looking at the statuary and other carved art pieces that grace the Sonnenberg Estate is that many characters are from the Classical Mythology of Ancient Greece and Rome. It is rather like a Greco-Roman mythology who's-who. Here is a quick spotlight of one of those characters that can be seen at Sonnenberg.

Pan
Location: Rock Garden
Type: Free-standing Statue
Mythology Origin: Ancient Greece

Description:
Pan was the god of wild places and the patron deity of shepherds. He is depicted in much the same manner as a faun with the hindquarters and horns of a goat. Pan's origins are unclear. Some tales say he is the son of Hermes while others point to Zeus or other gods. Pan was also associated with music and he was said to have created the syrinx or panpipes. (The Sonnenberg statue shows Pan holding a set of these pipes.) Being a pastoral god, natural caves and grottos instead of man-made temples are where people worshipped him. Pan is said to be the origin of the word panic due to his terror-inducing shouts.

More Info:
Pan (Wikipedia)
Pan (Ancient History)
Pan (Theoi)

Pan overlooking the Rock Garden
(Click on image to see a larger view)

There's a Mushroom House?

Even though I have visited Sonnenberg Gardens since I was young, that was what I said when I first heard of it. And while it sounds like an eclectic architectural style from the 1960's, the Mushroom House was created during the Thompsons' era at Sonnenberg for the aptly named purpose of growing mushrooms.

While its condition does not allow for tours and visits, visitors can see the exterior signs of the Mushroom House during their visit.

The entrance to the Mushroom House is located at the Gardener's Cottage, which also is the location of the Sonnenberg Administrative offices. (Access to the Mushroom House is NOT allowed.)

Skylights for this underground area were made from glass and steel and set into the ground above. They look rather like decorative manhole covers and are located next to the cafe' (on the greenhouse side). Not all of the skylights have weathered the 100+ years well and some are missing some or all of the handmade glass disks.

Be sure to look for this little known piece of Sonnenberg on your next visit!

Wooden Sashinko, Japanese Embroidery Patterns in the Tea House

One of the great treasures of Sonnenberg Gardens & Mansion State Historic Park is the Japanese Teahouse in its Japanese Garden. Mary Clark Thompson, one of the original owners of Sonnenberg, hired Kikujiro Wadamori in 1906 to build her Japanese Garden. Wadamori, originally from Izumo in southern Japan but now living and working in the United States, and a crew of seven men built the garden and teahouse. The garden was designed to be a miniature landscape reminiscent of the topography of Japan complete with mountains and valleys. It should be noted that this garden is one of the earliest privately owned Japanese gardens in the United States and the teahouse is one of the few in America that is in a publically accessible location.

The craftsmanship of the workmen that created the teahouse is on display both the inside and outside of this 100+ year old structure. Here are pictures of how the outside of the teahouse looks today:


The Japanese Teahouse seen from outside

Farther view of the Japanese Teahouse
 

The interior, while seldom viewed by visitors, is equally beautiful albeit in a quiet simplicity of form and style. One of the details to catch the eye while inside the teahouse are carved wooden panels/screens used in the wall and sliding panels separating the two halves of the teahouse. These can be seen in the picture below. There are two sets of panels, each featuring a different geometric pattern.

Interior view of the Japanese Teahouse - wooden
screen panels are visible

Practitioners of the traditional Japanese craft of sashiko will surely recognize the patterns in the wooden screens. Sashiko is a Japanese embroidery style that was used to repair and reinforce as well as beautify clothing. It became a rural domestic craft during the Edo Era (1615 - 1868) and has continued on to present day. The stitching often features repeating geometric designs and its most recognizable form consists of white embroidery on an indigo fabric. A picture of a modern sashiko stich sampler can be seen below.

A modern sashiko stitch sampler
(click on this image or any in the article for a larger view)

 Asanoha (Hemp Leaf)

The pattern in the panel above the doorway is known as the asanoha or hemp leaf. A detail from this panel can be seen below:



Japanese Teahouse - interior panel detail



The asanoha is a star-like pattern that is undoubtedly the most famous of sashiko patterns. This pattern's origins lay in China where the pattern was associated with Buddhism and represented radiating light or the inner light of the soul. This pattern has often been used on children's clothes and bedding in hopes they would grow up strong like the hemp plant - hemp was used by many common people for fabric prior to the widespread availability of cotton in Japan. The pattern has also symbolized a wish for good health.


Shippō tsunagi (Linked Seven Treasures)

The wooden screens running through the middle of the sliding panels feature a variation on the Shippō tsunagi or Linked Seven Treasures pattern. A detail of that panel can be seen below.



Japanese Teahouse - interior panel detail



This pattern is also called shippō or Seven Treasures and it was in use in the Heian era 1,000 years before it appeared in sashiko designs. This design also references Buddhism for the seven treasures appear in Buddhist sutras. Those seven treasures are: gold, silver, lapis lazuli, agate, pearl, coral, and crystal.

 Like to learn more about sashiko? One of the best references commonly available outside of Japan is The Ultimate Sashiko Sourcebook by Susan Briscoe. It contains history, patterns, and directions on how to begin doing this craft.

Victorians at Play

“Victorians at Play” will be presented by a panel of experts on the history of the Thompson family of
Sonnenberg during the late 1800s and early 1900s. For the past five years this panel, a group of historians and archivists, have studied and transcribed diaries, letters, ledgers, newspaper articles, and other relevant documents. This presentation will focus on popular recreational activities of Victorian times and how the Thompsons participated.  Known for their philanthropies, the Thompsons gifts to the community and beyond for recreation will be discussed. 

The panel thanks the Ontario County Historical Society and Sonnenberg Archives for access to their collections to unfold the Thompson story. 

The admission fee will help support the newly formed Education Committee of Sonnenberg which will provide for future programs.

Victorians at Play
May 30, 2015, 10 am - Noon
$10/general; $5/members
Call 585-394-4922 for reservations

Did You Know? -- Mary Clark Thompson Medal

Did you Mary Clark Thompson, Sonnenberg's original owner, is the same Mary Clark Thompson for whom the National Academy of Science named their award of the same name?

She donated the funds for the award in 1919 and a gold medal used to be awarded annually but is now presented every three years, along with a $15,000 prize (courtesy of Mary Clark Thompson's endowment) to honor important services to geology and paleontology. Here is a link to an American Association for the Advancement of Science publication from 1919, which briefly mentions the award.

Mrs. Thompson was a great philanthropist and gave to innumerable causes in Canandaigua and beyond, many of which were related to the fields of healthcare and science.


Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator

Historical Facts: Greenhouses

The Industrial Revolution brought about advances in glass, metal, and heating technologies that allowed for improved greenhouse construction. Following the Civil War, these glass houses became common additions to estates like Sonnenberg. Year-round, they provided the beautiful flowers, ferns, and exotic plants that were popular in the Victorian era.

By the late 19th century, the Lord & Burnham Company was one of the premier greenhouse manufacturers in the United States. Mary Clark Thompson commissioned the company to construct her new greenhouse complex in 1903.

Submitted by Cindy Hunt, Curator