gogyōseki 五行石

Lit. five elements of stones. A name for the five types of functional and decorative stones *yaku-ishi 役石 popular in the Edo period as listed in Ishigumi sonō yaegakiden 石組園生八重垣伝. The reishōseki 霊象石, used for the shugoseki 主護石, is most important. The taidōseki 体胴石, used for the *soe-ishi 添石, is at the center. The shintaiseki 心体石 is a flat stone also called the ichijū issan 一重一山. The shigyōseki 枝形石 is an L-shaped stone. The kikyakuseki 寄脚石 is shaped like a reclining bull. The various arrangements of these stones are called gogyōseki-no-kumikata 五行石の組み方.