| Also
referred to as mitsumune-zukuri 三棟造. Lit. three ridges. This type
of construction is found chiefly in single-story, eight-legged gate *hakkyakumon
八脚門 constructed in the 8c. They are 3 bays long and 2 bays deep. The roof
is gabled *kirizuma-zukuri
切妻造 with a normal ridge *munagi
棟木 at the peak. However, this ridge is not visible from below because each
of the two bays is spanned by rainbow beams *kouryou
虹梁 in the transverse direction. Centered on each beam is a frog-leg strut
*kaerumata 蟇股 topped
by a simple bracket complex *tokyou
斗きょう in a lengthwise direction. The smaller bearing blocks *makito
巻斗 support the purlins which look like ridges. The base rafters are supported
by purlins *keta 桁 and
are visible. Short rafter-like members extend from the purlins to the central
pillars giving the appearance of the underside of an open roof with the
purlins looking like a ridges. Hence the name mitsumune. During the
Heian and Kamakura periods, this system of roofing
was used for corridors. Since only two ridges were visible, it was called *futamunerou 二棟廊 (a corridor with two ridges). Such corridors
are associated with the shinden style *shinden-zukuri
寝殿造. Examples: Toudaiji Tegaimon 東大寺転害門 (8c), Houryuuji Toudaimon 法隆寺東大門 (8c), both in Nara. |
