gaku 額

A tablet, plaque, or framed picture. The oldest form, dating back to the Nara period, is the wooden plaque *hengaku 扁額. These plaques were inscribed or carved with the names of gates, halls, or towers and hung under the eaves of these edifices. It was not until the Edo period that paintings or calligraphy were mounted on paper or cloth and framed for hanging inside rooms. Many votive plaques, greatly varying in size, are framed. One example is *Ema 絵馬 (picture of a horse) which are considered to be symbols of good luck.