shinso　心礎

KEY WORD :　architecture / general terms

Also called sasso 擦礎. The base stone for the central pillar *shinbashira 心柱, of a pagoda. Some base stones are buried deeply below ground level and have cavities hewed out of them to hold a container with relics *shari 舎利 of the Buddha. An example was discovered during the dismantling repairs of Houryuuji *Gojuu-no-tou 法隆寺五重塔 (late 7c- to early 8c) in Nara. Other base stones were set shallowly into the earth so that the surface receiving the central pillar was at ground level. This type occasionally had a hole for receiving a container of relics. One example is the base stone for the central pillar of Hokkiji *Sanjuu-no-tou 法起寺三重塔 (706), in Nara.

REFERENCES:

*soseki 礎石, *hazama-ishi 狭間石, *soban 礎盤

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