1 Also sangai 傘蓋, hougai
宝蓋, kagai 華蓋, kengai 懸蓋. Sk; chatra. A canopy hung from the ceiling
above a Buddhist statue. Said to be derived from parasols used by Indian nobility.
In Japan canopies were made of metal or wood; in square, hexagonal, octagonal
or circular shapes. Often ornamental objects such as the jeweled net *ramou
羅網 were hung from the canopy. Until the Fujiwara period many tengai
were decorated with an arabesque flower pattern *housouge
宝相華 in openwork *sukashibori
透彫 or relief carving *ukibori
浮彫. From the 12c cloud patterns were common, and in the transitional period the
two designs were sometimes combined in the same work. Outstanding examples of
tengai include the Asuka period painted wooden canopy in Houryuuji
*Kondou 法隆寺金堂, Nara, the early Heian period wooden canopy over the *Fudou
Myouou 不動明王 in Touji 東寺, Kyoto, shaped like a lotus flower, with eight heavenly
beings *hiten 飛天 painted in
the centre; and the 11c canopy over the Amida Nyoraizou 阿弥陀如来像 in Byoudouin *Hououdou
平等院鳳凰堂 (1053), kyoto, which consists of a round, openwork, housouge decorative
panel inside a box-shaped outer structure (inlaid lacquer).
2 A baldachin. A canopy made of painted or gilded wood and hung above Buddhist altars
and/or over Buddhist statues. Those placed over abbots' seats are called raiban
礼盤 or jintengai 人天蓋. Originally the canopies were made of silk and were
intended to resemble a long-handled Indian umbrella, kinugasa 絹笠. The canopies
were square, circular, six or eight sided. Trinkets *youraku
瓔珞 and/or streams were hung along the bottom edges.
|
