kawarabuki　瓦葺

KEY WORD :　architecture / roofing tiles

Also kawarabuki yane 瓦葺屋根, kawarayane 瓦屋根. Tile roofing. A roof covered with fired clay tiles usually colored medium to dark grey. Excavations at Heiou 平城 palace site in Nara, unearthed some tiles with a green glaze *ryokuyuugawara 緑釉瓦. At the Heian 平安 palace site in Kyoto, both green glazed tiles and others with yellow, green and brown *sansaiyuu gawara 三彩釉瓦 were found. Many shapes of tiles are needed to cover a single roof. The variety used is related to the type and complexity of the roof. The different types of roofs that are covered with tile include: a simple gable roof *kirizuma yane 切妻屋根, a hipped roof *yosemune yane 寄棟屋根, a hip-and-gable roof *irimoya yane 入母屋屋根, and a pyramidal roof *hougyou yane 宝形屋根. The most basic tiles are the broad, concave tiles *hiragawara 平瓦 which are laid first. Semi-cylindrical convex tiles *marugawara 丸瓦 are cover tiles and are laid over the seams where the hiragawara join. Along the eave-ends, pendants *gatou 瓦当, usually decorated, are attached to the tiles so that they hang down. The pendants are very slightly slanted so that rain will flow off gently. Many special kinds of tiles must be manufactured for particular parts of the roof. The various parts of the roof include: the ridge *munagi 棟木, the gable *tsuma 妻 and the drooping verge *minokou 箕甲. The slope and sag of the roof is exceedingly important with relation to the tile covering.

REFERENCES:

*kawara 瓦, *hongawarabuki 本瓦葺, *sangawarabuki 桟瓦葺

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