murodoko　室床

KEY WORD :　architecture / tea houses

Also called *horadoko 洞床 or tsuchidoko 土床. An alcove *tokonoma 床の間, which is completely plastered. The pillars, and ceiling are plastered and corners are rounded due to the amount of plaster that fills them. Occasionally the mat is also covered with plaster and Japanese paper *washi 和紙. The murodoko differed from other alcoves in that it had an alcove post *otoshigake 落掛, also completely plastered. Several references remark on the characteristics of murodoko and horadoko. The *SEKISHUU SANBYAKUKAJOU 石洲三百ヶ条 (late 17c) states that the horadoko has a plastered ceiling and walls and was also called murodoko. The *CHADOU SENTEI 茶道筌蹄 (1816-47) states that plaster is used for the murodoko and that even the mat is plastered and paper placed over it. The two terms are used with some confusion because horadoko and murodoko are both plastered alcoves but the former has an arched opening called *katouguchi 火灯口. However, the KISSA KOUMON GASHI 喫茶敲門瓦子 (1843) contradicts this by describing the murodoko as having an exposed post and a small wall opposite where the top frame is plastered in an arched shape. Thus, the two terms are often interchanged. Example: Myoukian Taian 妙喜庵待庵 (1492-1501), Kyoto.

REFERENCES:

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。