nitenmon 二天門
KEY WORD : architecture / gates
 
A middle gate, *chuumon 中門, at a Buddhist temple. Usually it is an 8-legged gate *hakkyakumon 八脚門, with an entrance through the center bay. It enshrines a statue of *Tamonten 多門天 in the left bay which can be viewed from the front and one of *Zouchouten 増長天 in the right bay. This gate may be single storied or a high gate style, *roumon 楼門. The roof type and roofing materials vary. A gate of this type is believed to have existed in the Heian period (794-1185). The oldest extant nitenmon is at Saimyouji 西妙寺, 1407, in Shiga prefecture.
 
Rinnouji Taiyuuin Nitenmon 輪王寺大猷院二天門 (Tochigi)
Rinnouji Taiyuuin Nitenmon 輪王寺大猷院二天門 (Tochigi)
Rinnouji Taiyuuin Nitenmon 輪王寺大猷院二天門 (Tochigi)

 
REFERENCES:
*nioumon 二王門 
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。