Vertical shaft which tops a Japanese pagoda
The two types of pagoda finial (
s?rin
), in bronze
(
tah?t?
) and stone (
h?ky?int?
)
The
s?rin
(
相輪
,
lit. alternate rings
)
is the vertical shaft (
finial
) which tops a
Japanese pagoda
, whether made of stone or wood.
[1]
[note 1]
The
s?rin
of a wooden pagoda is usually made of bronze and can be over 10 meters tall.
[2]
That of a stone pagoda is also of stone and less than a meter long. The
s?rin
is divided in several sections possessing a symbolic meaning and, as a whole, in turn itself represents a pagoda.
[3]
Although quintessentially Buddhist, in Japan pagodas and their
s?rin
can be found both at
Buddhist temples
and
Shinto shrines
. This is because until the
Kami and Buddhas Separation Act
of 1868 a Shinto shrine was normally also a Buddhist temple and vice versa.
Itsukushima Shrine
for example has one.
[4]
Support system
[
edit
]
The
s?rin
is supported by a long shaft, often obtained by joining two or even three shorter ones, that runs to the base of the edifice. Although it is often believed that the pillar at the core of a Japanese pagoda is a device to strengthen it against earthquakes, its sole purpose is to support the long and heavy bronze
s?rin
.
[5]
In many cases the central shaft doesn't reach the ground, but has its base somewhere above it within the pagoda, where it is supported by beam or other means. At
Nikk? T?sh?-g?
(1818), for example, it is suspended with chains from the fourth floor. From its base exits a long
tenon
which, penetrating a
mortise
in a base stone
(
心礎
,
shinso
)
, prevents it from oscillating. This structure was adopted not as a measure against earthquakes but because, with aging, the wood of the pagoda, whose grain is mostly horizontal, tends to shrink more than that of the vertical shaft, causing the opening of a gap between the two at the roof.
[5]
From the gap rain would enter, causing rot.
In other cases, this was done to allow the opening of a room at the ground floor and therefore create some usable space. (Early wooden pagodas had no usable space.)
[6]
Structure
[
edit
]
Wooden pagodas
[
edit
]
The
s?rin
of a wooden pagoda is usually made of bronze and is divided in several segments called (from top to bottom):
- The
Jewel or gem
(
?珠
,
h?ju or h?shu
)
, a spherical or tear-shaped object, shapes sacred to Buddhism. Believed to repel evil and fulfill wishes, it can be also found on top of pyramidal temple roofs, of
stone lanterns
or of tall poles. It can have flames, in which case it is called
kaen h?ju
(
火炎?珠
, flaming gem)
.
[7]
Those made before the
Momoyama period
tend to be rounder.
- The dragon vehicle
(
?車
,
ry?sha
)
, the piece immediately below the
h?ju
- The water flame
(
水煙
,
suien
, lit. "water smoke")
, consisting of four decorative sheets of metal set at 90° to each other and installed over the top of the main pillar of a pagoda.
[8]
- The
f?taku
(
風鐸
, lit. "wind bell")
, small bells attached to the edges of a
s?rin's
rings or of the
suien
.
[2]
- The nine rings
(
九輪
,
kurin
)
, the largest component of the
s?rin
. In spite of their name, there can sometimes be only eight or even seven of them.
[9]
- The
ukebana
(
受花?請花
, lit. "receiving flower")
, a circle of upturned
lotus
petals, usually eight in number. There can also be another circle of petals facing down.
[10]
- The inverted bowl
(
伏鉢
,
fukubachi
)
, which sits between the
ukebana
and the
roban
.
- The base or dew basin
(
露盤
,
roban
, lit. "external bowl")
, on which rests the entire finial. Because it covers the top of the roof in order to prevent leaks, it normally has as many sides as the roof itself (four, six or eight).
[11]
Stone pagodas
[
edit
]
The most important stone pagoda having a finial is the
h?ky?int?
. Usually made in stone and occasionally metal or wood,
h?ky?int?
started to be made in their present form during the
Kamakura period
. Like a
gorint?
, they are divided in five main sections, of which the
s?rin
is the uppermost.
[12]
Its components are, from the top down:
[13]
- H?ju
- Ukebana
- Kurin
- Ukebana
- Roban
.
The s?rin sits on the kasa
(
笠
, umbrella)
or
yane
(
屋根
, roof)
, a stepped pyramid with four wings at the corners called
mimikazari
(
耳飾
)
or
sumikazari
(
隅飾
)
.
[13]
S?rint?
[
edit
]
The
s?rint?
(
相輪?
)
is a type of small pagoda consisting just of a pole and a
s?rin
.
Notes
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
S?rin
.
- ^
Pagodas can be made of wood or stone, and the two types are very different. Stone pagodas like the
h?ky?int?
are always small compared to wooden ones (usually below three meters), and offer little or no usable space inside. For details, see the article
T?
References
[
edit
]
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Sourin"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 7,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
"J?y? Bunkazai"
(in Japanese). City of Sennan (Osaka) Web Site
. Retrieved
10 June
2011
.
- ^
Hamashima, Masashi (1999).
Jisha Kenchiku no Kansh? Kiso Chishiki
(in Japanese). Tokyo: Shibund?. p. 224.
- ^
Hamashima, Masashi (1999).
Jisha Kenchiku no Kansh? Kiso Chishiki
(in Japanese). Tokyo: Shibund?. p. 88.
- ^
a
b
Hamashima, Masashi (1999).
Jisha Kenchiku no Kansh? Kiso Chishiki
(in Japanese). Tokyo: Shibund?. p. 79.
- ^
Fujita Masaya, Koga Sh?saku, ed. (April 10, 1990).
Nihon Kenchiku-shi
(in Japanese) (September 30, 2008 ed.). Sh?wa-d?. pp. 79?81.
ISBN
4-8122-9805-9
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"H?ju"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 7,
2011
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Suien"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 7,
2011
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Kurin"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 7,
2011
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Ukebana"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 8,
2011
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Roban"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 8,
2011
.
- ^
Parent, Mary Neighbour.
"Houkyouintou"
.
Japanese Architecture and Art Net Users System
. Retrieved
June 10,
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Shink? no Katachi - H?ky?int?
, Yatsushiro Municipal Museum, accessed on June 10, 2011
(in Japanese)
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