kabukimon　冠木門
KEY WORD :　architecture / gates
　
Also written koumon 衡門. A roofless gate composed of two square gate posts *hashira 柱, either set directly into the ground *hottatebashira 堀立柱, or placed on square base stones, nemaki-ishi 根巻石 (see *nemaki 根巻). A heavy horizontal beam or lintel, called *kabuki 冠木, is inserted into the posts. Usually small timbers are placed across the under side of the kabuki beam and sometimes vertically against the inner sides of the posts into which the gate doors are attached. Sometimes the gate doors are secured directly to the posts themselves. The doors open inward. The top side of the door is straight. Occasionally the door is hung with a space between the door bottom and the ground sill, not only for aesthetic reasons but to prevent water from heavy rains collecting under the doors. The doors are made of heavy vertical planks and are attached to the posts with decorative hinges called *hassou kanagu 八双金具. The doors may have metal decoration called manjuu kanamono 饅頭金物 (see *manjuugata 饅頭形). The tops of the posts are pyramidal in shape and are called tokin 兜巾. The band around the tops of the posts and around the kabuki lintel are called *fukurin 覆輪. The posts often are supported on the inner face by an arrangement of props or secondary posts called *hikaebashira 控柱 which are connected to the posts with diagonal tie beams and a lower straight tie beam. Kabukimon may also have a small side door called kowakitobira 小脇扉 attached to one of the posts of the gate. This type of gate dates back to the Kamakura period and was used by low ranking people. By the Muromachi period, it was used at warriors mansions and as a castle gates. The use of this type of gate for residences increased during the Edo period.
　
Eikandou Minamimon 永観堂南門 (Kyoto)
Eikandou Minamimon 永観堂南門 (Kyoto)

　
REFERENCES:
*kuginukimon 釘貫門
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