hishi shirin 菱支輪

A short, curved, non-supporting series of strut-like members used on the under side of eaves to form a transition between beams positioned at different levels to support the stepped bracket complexes. Usually, two-stepped *futatesakigumi 二手先組 or three-stepped *mitesaki tokyō 三手先斗きょう. After the 14th century, buildings of Japanese style *wayō 和様 lineage occasionally had small timber pieces arranged to form a lozenge pattern instead of a row of curved forms set parallel to each other. In most cases, hishishirin are used along with a cornice-like set of short *shirin 支輪. Examples: Kakurinji Shōrō 鶴林寺鐘楼 (1408) in Hyōgo Prefecture, Tenneiji Sanjū-no-tō 天寧寺三重塔 (1389) in Hiroshima Prefecture.