nindō karakusamon 忍冬唐草文

Also suikazura karakusamon; also nindō karakusa 忍冬唐草. Lit. "honeysuckle arabesque pattern." A pattern used to decorate the pendants *gatō 瓦当 of broad, concave eave end tiles *nokihiragawara 軒平瓦. Existing examples have very fluid, delicate vine patterns which are rendered with a leaping vitality, as in those found at Hōryūji 法隆寺 and Hōrinji 法輪寺 in Nara. This motif may be arranged symmetrically, to the right and left of a central design *chūshin kazari 中心飾. It may be deeply and heavily carved as exemplified by a fragment found at the Sakadadera 坂田寺 site in Nara. It may also have a continuous pattern without a central motif *henkō karakusamon 扁行唐草文. Some fragments from Hōryūji have a large heavy, fan-shaped motif senkei nindō karakusamon 扇形忍冬唐草文 with the same motif alternating between being right side up, like a tree, and the next inverted. This motif is also called palmette or apricot leaf arabesque motif kyōyō karakusamon 杏葉唐草文.