menkawabashira 面皮柱

Also menkawa 面皮. A pillar or post *hashira 柱, rafter *taruki 垂木 or batten *sao 竿, usually made of cedar or cypress, which has four planed sides but retains natural texture, including the bark, untouched at the corners. The planed sides are highly polished. Sometimes the bark is peeled off leaving the rough surface underneath exposed. Rafters of this type or battens that are hidden on one side are treated with a technique called *sewari 背割, purposely making a split on the back to prevent cracking. This technique is particularly suited to tea ceremony houses *chashitsu 茶室 of the sukiyafūshoin style, sukiyafūshoin-zukuri 数寄屋風書院造.