Also written 複弁蓮花文. A double-lotus-petal motif applied to the pendant tiles, *gatō 瓦当, along the edge of the eaves of a tiled roof. The double-petal motif is believed to have first appeared in the Hakuhō period. Usually eight petals are arranged around a center circular pod containing a varying number of raised seeds, *chūbō 中房. Each double-petal is divided by a line emanating from the outer rim of the pod. Each half of the petal contains a seedling leaf. Although a real lotus flower has sixteen petals, to arrange that number of petals on a pendant tile would look more like a chrysanthemum motif which did not appear until the 16th century. Therefore, reducing the lotus motif to eight double-petals produced an excellent stylized lotus pattern. This pattern remained popular for temples and palaces constructed through the late 12th century. Examples of the pattern have been excavated at many sites including the Sūfukuji 崇福寺 site, Shiga Prefecture; the Fujiwara 藤原 Palace site and the site of the Yamadadera 山田寺, both in Nara; the Heijō 平城 Palace site, also in Nara; and the Heian 平安 Palace site, in Kyoto.
