sumigisaki gawara　隅木先瓦

KEY WORD :　architecture / roofing tiles

Decorative clay tiles shaped to fit snugly over the crosscut, exposed end of a hip rafter, sumigi daruki 隅木垂木. The tiles are square or rectangular and decorated with conventional motifs such as the lotus petal with seedling leaf *tanben rengemon 単弁蓮華文, or the less stylized, flower-like pattern called housougemon 宝相華文 (see *housouge 宝相華). These tiles were designed to eliminate wind and rain erosion, and to prevent general weathering caused by severe changes in temperature and humidity. Like the protective covers applied to rafter ends, tarukisaki 垂木先, these tiles were attached by a nail hammered into the end of the hip rafter through a hole made in the center of the tile for this purpose. Examples are exceedingly rare, but fragments have been excavated at Naraike haiji 楢池廃寺 in Nara. One decorated with a lotus motif has a seedling leaf that makes a perfect match with a rafter end tile found at the same location. Another fragment found at the same site has the housougemon pattern.

REFERENCES:

*sumigi futagawara 隅木蓋瓦

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NOTES:

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