juukomon nokihiragawara　重弧文軒平瓦

KEY WORD :　architecture / roofing tiles

A pattern of parallel lines decorating the pendant *gatou 瓦当 of a broad, concave eave-end tile *nokihiragawara 軒平瓦. These lines follow the deep bow-like curvature of the tile and extend all the way to ends. It is believed that the pattern was made by pressing a mold into the tile's wet clay during the production stage. If nokihiragawara have a border created by parallel lines that do not reach the edges of each end, they are called juukakumon 重廓文. Examples have been found at the sites of Yamadadera 山田寺 (6c) in Nara, that have three parallel lines sanjuukonmon 三重弧文 and examples found at Kawaradera 川原寺 (6c) in Nara, have four parallel lines yonjuukomon 四重弧文. A set consisting of a pendant tile for semi-cylindrical, convex eave-end tile *nokimarugawara 軒丸瓦 and a broad, concave eave-end pendant tile nokihiragawara was unearthed at the site of Bingo Kokubunji 備後国分寺 in Hiroshima prefecture. Aside from these early examples the use of concentric circles on the pendants nokimarugawara and parallel lines on the pendants of nokihiragawara was especially popular in the Heian period.

REFERENCES:

*juukenmon 重圏文

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