kudarimune 降棟

Also called *hira kudarimune 平降棟. A descending ridge *tsuma kudarimune 妻降棟, used on a tile gable roof *kirizuma yane 切妻屋根, and a hip-and-gable roof *irimoya yane 入母屋屋根, with a descending ridge kudarimune. The descending ridge is at a right angle to the main ridge *mune 棟. It follows the incline *kōbai 勾配 of the roof to a point beyond the beginning of the corner descending ridge *sumi kudarimune 隅降棟. Like the main ridge, all descending ridges are composed of several layers of flat tiles arranged to emphasize the curvature of the roof line. In 8th-13th century, the layers of tiles were capped by ordinary convex, semi-circular tiles *marugawara 丸瓦. By the 14th century, the advent of special coping tiles *fusumagawara 伏間瓦 was made to make a better fit and more pleasing finish. The outer part of these ridges began to be decorated with ogre tiles *onigawara 鬼瓦 and bird-perch tiles *toribusuma 鳥衾 also were added. The descending ridge defines the change in the roof line between the main surface and the drooping verge *minokō 箕甲.