kentoumon　剣頭文
KEY WORD :　architecture / roofing tiles
　
Lit. sword tip motif. Also kentomoemon noki hiragawara 剣巴文軒平瓦. Also kenbishimon 剣菱文. The pendant *gatou 瓦当 of a broad, concave eave-end tile *nokihiragawara 軒平瓦 decorated with a row of stylized sword tips. Commonly used after the middle of the Heian and well into the Kamakura period. Traces of an imprint of cloth *nunomeato 布目痕 are evident on excavated examples suggesting that the entire pattern was made simultaneously by pressing a cloth covered board with the carved motif onto wet clay. A relatively wide undecorated rim remains between the indented sword motif and the edge of the tile. The illustrated example shown below was excavated from the site of Hosshouji 法勝寺 in Kyoto. This temple was the first of the six temples called Rokushouji 六勝寺 and was built at the request of Emperor Shirakawa 白河 (1072-86). It is known that the Kondou 金堂 and Koudou 講堂 of Hosshouji were dedicated in 1077. Another broad, concave eave-end tile has a sword pattern and three comma patterns *tomoemon 巴文, one placed at each end and one at the center. It is called *kendomoe 剣巴. This pattern dates from the late 12c and was unearthed at the site of Tachibanadera 橘寺 in Nara. The sword and comma motifs also became very popular for decorating the borders of Buddhist altars *butsudan 仏壇 and ritual drums taiko 太鼓 at the end of the 12c.
　

Houryuuji Touin Shourou 法隆寺東院鐘楼 (Nara)
Houryuuji Touin Shourou 法隆寺東院鐘楼 (Nara)


*kendomoe 剣巴

　
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