gegyo 懸魚
KEY WORD : architecture / decorations
 
Also gegyo 掛魚 (Ch; xianyu) ; formerly also pronounced kengyo. Gable pendant, lit. hanging fish.

1 Decorative wooden board used to cover the ridge and purlin ends on a roof gable. It is believed that gegyo were originally carved in the shape of fish as a charm against fire, and were introduced to Japan from China. Illustrations suggest that gegyo existed in Japan as early as the 7c, but their exposed position on the gable end made them vulnerable to wind and rain damage, so no examples survive. The earliest extant gegyo date back to the the Kamakura period, and can best be seen on miniature shrines *zushi 厨子. Gegyo are often found on shrine, temple, or castle roofs, and occasionally on domestic architecture, for example the Imanishi 今西 house (1650) in Nara. They are usually secured with a wooden peg, or a hexagonal metal fitting called *rokuyou 六葉. Decorative extensions on the sides of gegyo are called fins *hire 鰭, and scroll-like decoration at the base is known as *warabite 蕨手. Gegyo are classified according to their position on the gable, or their shape. The *omogegyo 本懸魚 covers the ridge, and *kudarigegyo 降懸魚 or *ketakakushi 桁隠 cover lower purlins right and left of the ridge. The *unokedooshi 兎毛通 (rabbit's-hair cover) is found on the ridge of an undulating bargeboard *karahafu 唐破風. Various decorative shapes of gegyo include the boar's eye *inome gegyo 猪目懸魚, turnip *kaburagegyo 蕪懸魚, shell-head *kaigata gegyo 貝形懸魚, trefoil *mitsubana gegyo 三花懸魚, the straight-sided hexagonal *kirigegyo 切懸魚, and irregular hexagonal *umebachi gegyo 梅鉢懸魚. In the Edo period gable pendants known as choukoku gegyo 彫刻懸魚 were adorned with all kinds of high relief sculptures such as flowers, animals, birds and dragons. See also *karimata gegyo 雁股懸魚, *yuiwata gegyo 結綿懸魚.

2 A bargeboard pendant with a vertically set double design. It has a large motif of top and close duplication of the same design below it on a smaller scale. This type of pendant first appeared in the Edo period.
 

a) *omogegyo 本懸魚 b) *kudarigegyo 降懸魚 c) *hire
Houryuuji Toudaimon 法隆寺東大門 (Nara)


nijuu gegyo 二重懸魚

choukoku gegyo 彫刻懸魚

*kaburagegyo 蕪懸魚

*mitsubana gegyo 三花懸魚

*inome gegyo 猪目懸魚

*umebachi gegyo 梅鉢懸魚


 
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