mitsumune 三棟
KEY WORD : architecture / general terms
 
Also referred to as mitsumune-zukuri 三棟造. Lit. three ridges. This type of construction is found chiefly in single-story, eight-legged gate *hakkyakumon 八脚門 constructed in the 8c. They are 3 bays long and 2 bays deep. The roof is gabled *kirizuma-zukuri 切妻造 with a normal ridge *munagi 棟木 at the peak. However, this ridge is not visible from below because each of the two bays is spanned by rainbow beams *kouryou 虹梁 in the transverse direction. Centered on each beam is a frog-leg strut *kaerumata 蟇股 topped by a simple bracket complex *tokyou 斗きょう in a lengthwise direction. The smaller bearing blocks *makito 巻斗 support the purlins which look like ridges. The base rafters are supported by purlins *keta 桁 and are visible. Short rafter-like members extend from the purlins to the central pillars giving the appearance of the underside of an open roof with the purlins looking like a ridges. Hence the name mitsumune. During the Heian and Kamakura periods, this system of roofing was used for corridors. Since only two ridges were visible, it was called *futamunerou 二棟廊 (a corridor with two ridges). Such corridors are associated with the shinden style *shinden-zukuri 寝殿造. Examples: Toudaiji Tegaimon 東大寺転害門 (8c), Houryuuji Toudaimon 法隆寺東大門 (8c), both in Nara.
 
 
 
Houryuuji Toudaimon 法隆寺東大門 (Nara)
 

 
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