tenjouga　天井画

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Paintings on a ceiling. The coffered ceilings *goutenjou 格天井 of Japanese Buddhist temples have traditionally been decorated with floral patterns using the *ungen 繧繝 coloring technique. Although four coffers *gouma 格間 functioned as a unit and were painted with lotus flower arabesques renge karakusa 蓮華唐草 (see *rengemon 蓮華文) in the 7c, one floral pattern had been given to each coffer since the 8c. This general principle is preserved in temple ceiling paintings today, except for the lecture halls *hattou 法堂 of Zen temples, where it has been common to paint a dragon *ryuu 龍 in ink in a circle, ensou 円相 in the center of the single-paneled ceiling *kagamitenjou 鏡天井. With the development of shoin style architecture *shoin-zukuri 書院造 from the 16c, onward colorful paintings of various kinds of birds, flowers and plants have been depicted on the latticed ceilings of the grand halls, oohiroma 大広間 and reception rooms, taimanjo 対面所 of castles and mansions.

REFERENCES:

*shouhekiga 障壁画

EXTERNAL LINKS:

NOTES:

(C)2001 Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System.　No reproduction or republication without written permission. 掲載のテキスト・写真・イラストなど、全てのコンテンツの無断複製・転載を禁じます。