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called jigawara 地瓦 because it is a base tile; and kanryakugawara
簡略瓦 because it combines a broad concave tile *hiragawara
平瓦 and a semi-cylindrical convex tile *marugawara
丸瓦, into one tile. It is sometimes called kumodomegawara 雲止瓦. A pantile.
The tile is square but undulates from concave to convex. Because it combines
two tiles *sangawara 桟瓦 is quicker to produce, lighter weight and easier
to lay. In order to distinguish sangawarabuki from the traditional
tile roofing composed of separate broad, concave tiles hiragawara,
and semi-cylindrical convex tiles marugawara, the term *hongawarabuki
本瓦葺 meaning formal tile roofing was invented. It is believed that Nishimura
Gorobee 西村五郎兵衛, (later called Hanbee 半兵衛) first thought to combine the two
tiles in 1674. They were originally used on temple roofs and later on residences
and other types of buildings. Initially, the part replacing the marugawara,
called the san 桟, was large and the concave part replacing the ordinary
hiragawara, called the valley *tani
谷 was deep. Gradually, they became uniform and the curves more gentle making
them easier to use and to secure. In traditional architecture the sizes
of tiles were referred to as shikuban 四九判 (about 49 tiles), gorokuban
五六判 (about 56 tiles), and rokushiban 六四判 (about 64 tiles). The numbers
indicate how many tiles were needed to cover a 3.3 sq.m (one tsubo
一坪). Using system, this a tile setter would know immediately how many tiles
were needed to cover the entire roof. These tiles usually curve so that
the rounded part san is on the right side when facing the tile, but
there are cases where the san is reversed and placed on the left
side. When they were used for eave-end tiles *nokigawara
軒瓦, the sangawarabuki's san and valley both usually have decorative
pendants *gatou 瓦当,
circular on the end of the part corresponding to the marugawara and
long, curved, concave shaped one corresponding to the hiragawara.
Traditionally, arabesque patterns *karakusamon
唐草文 found on the broad concave eave-end tile were applied to the eave-end
valley of pantiles, and a comma pattern *tomoemon
巴文 was most frequently used on pendant of the san. If the pendants
are undecorated, the combined tile as called manjuu nokigawara 万十軒瓦.
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