Keywords
Architecture
General Terms
A boat-shaped bracket arm placed directly on top of a pillar to carry a purlin, *gagyō 丸桁. This bracket arm is thought to be of Japanese origin and not introduced from the Asian continent. It is used to distribute the weight imposed by purlins and rafters in the roof above. It is not a true bracket complex as it has no bearing block, *masu 斗, beneath it nor upon its upper surface. This simple boat-shaped bracket arm is often used on shrine buildings and vernacular houses. The Hōryūji *Higashimuro 法隆寺東室 has boat-shaped brackets on the corner pillars. This is in contrast to the square purlins at *Tsumamuro 妻室 that were placed directly on the tops of pillars.
