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JAANUS

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  • (-) Decorations (69)
  • Architecture (69)
  • Art History (1)
  • Painting (1)

Displaying 1 - 69 of 69
Title Contains Image(s) Description Keywords
kabeshiro 壁代

A type of curtain hung from the upper non-penetrating tie beam, uwanageshi (or kaminageshi ) 上長押 in temple…

Architecture, Decorations
kaburagegyo 蕪懸魚 ✓

Lit. turnip bargeboard pendant. A gable pendant *gegyo 懸魚 decorated with…

Architecture, Decorations
kaeribanaza 反花座

Abbreviated to *kaeribana 反花. Also soribana 反り花. A…

Architecture, Decorations
kagebana sōshoku 懸華装飾

A festoon. Also fesutun フェストゥーン, hanazuna sōshoku 花網装飾, or sagewa kazari 下げ環飾. A carved or molded…

Architecture, Decorations
kaigata gegyo 貝形懸魚 ✓

Also kaigashira gegyo 貝頭懸魚. Lit. shell-head gable pendant. A type of decorative gable pendant *…

Architecture, Decorations
kakimayu 欠眉

Also written 缺眉 or 欠き眉. A type of carved molding *kurigata 繰形, widely used in…

Architecture, Decorations
kanagu 金具

Also kanamono 金物 (metal thing). Metal fittings that are not only functional but often decorative. 
 …

Architecture, Decorations
karahafu gegyo 唐破風懸魚

A type of bargeboard pendant *gegyo 懸魚 found on a Chinese style…

Architecture, Decorations
karigasumi 雁霞 ✓

A pattern used for muntins *kumiko 組子. It is thought to resemble…

Architecture, Decorations
karimata gegyo 雁股懸魚 ✓

Lit. double-headed-arrow gable pendant. A gable pendant *gegyo 懸魚 with a tip…

Architecture, Decorations
kasane izutsu 重井筒 A pattern formed by interweaving the strokes ofthe character 井 'i ' meaning 'well'.
Architecture, Decorations
kasane 重ね

1 The area where members such as siding boards shitami-ita 下見板 (see *…

Architecture, Decorations
katō 火灯

Also written 花頭, 華頭, 架灯. A shape used for windows in Zen style architecture *zenshūyō…

Architecture, Decorations
katō kyokusen 火灯曲線

A specific arrangement of curved lines found on top of an arched window called *…

Architecture, Decorations
kazari kanagu 飾金具

Ornamental metal fittings. Metalwork pieces *kanagu 金具, attached to parts of a…

Architecture, Decorations
kebori 毛彫 ✓

Hairline engraving. A technique used in metalwork where a design was engraved on a surface in a sequence of fine lines,…

Architecture, Decorations
kendomoe 剣巴

Also pronounced kentomoe. A decorative pattern combining a sword blade, ken 剣, with the swirling heraldic…

Architecture, Decorations
kenmayu 剣眉

A type of molding *kurigata 繰形, carved in a sword shape. It is…

Architecture, Decorations
kensaki 剣先

A geometric pattern based on three joined hexagonal shapes. It closely resembles *…

Architecture, Decorations
keshō 化粧

Refers to the appearance or exposed surface of an architectural structural element. Also a smoothly planed wooden finish as…

Architecture, Decorations
ketakakushi 桁隠

Lit. beam cover. Also *kudarigegyo 降懸魚, ketakakushi…

Architecture, Decorations
kikuza 菊座

Also called *rokuyō 六葉. Lit. chrysanthemum seat. A decorative metal piece…

Architecture, Decorations
kinranmaki 金襴巻 ✓

Lit. gold-brocade wrap. Decorative metal fittings *kazarikanagu 飾金具 and…

Architecture, Decorations
kirigegyo 切懸魚

Lit. cut bargeboard pendant.



1 A gable pendant *gegyo…

Architecture, Decorations
kirisasu 切扠首

1 A short, diagonal timber which receives the helmet beam kabutogeta 兜桁 on a thatched roof …

Architecture, Decorations
kobushibana 拳鼻

Lit. a fist nosing.


1 A shaped beam tip *kibana 木鼻,…

Architecture, Decorations
koguchi kanagu 木口金具 ✓

Also koguchi kanamono 小口金物. A metal fitting placed over the crosscut end of a timber. The fitting on the ends of…

Architecture, Decorations
komochi yamagata 子持山形

A decorative pattern consisting of a pair of parallel zig-zag lines, one thick and one thin.

Architecture, Decorations
kōraiberi 高麗縁 ✓

Also kōraibuchi 高麗縁, monkōraiberi 紋高麗縁. A decorated binding used to make the edge of a straw mat *…

Architecture, Decorations
kudarigegyo 降懸魚

Also *ketakakushi 桁隠, ketakakushigegyo 桁隠懸魚, *…

Architecture, Decorations
kugikakushi 釘隠 ✓

An ornament used to conceal the head of a large nail on a pressing tie rail *nageshi…

Architecture, Decorations
kumikikkō 組亀甲

A decorative pattern of interlocking hexagonal shapes with small triangles in the interstices. A variation of the tortoise…

Architecture, Decorations
kumo gasshōhire 雲合掌鰭

Lit. cloud principal-rafter fins. A pair of sculpted forms *hire 鰭 in decorative…

Architecture, Decorations
kuri 繰

Curved designs carved into wood to make moldings *kurigata 繰形.

Architecture, Decorations
kurigata 繰形

Also written 刳形. Incised or molded decoration that appears on the edge of exposed architectural members such as no sings *…

Architecture, Decorations
kurinuki kaerumata 刳抜蟇股

A type of open frog strut honkaerumata 本蟇股, which is cut from a single timber with decorative openwork carvings *…

Architecture, Decorations
kushigata ranma 櫛形欄間

A transom *ranma 欄間, with an arched opening in the shape of a comb *…

Architecture, Decorations
kushigata 櫛形

1 Lit. Comb shape. A semicircular shape、or part of a semicircle, often with trimmed corners. Used in…

Architecture, Decorations
kushigatamado 櫛形窓

A window in the shape of a comb *kushigata 櫛形. Sometimes built into outside…

Architecture, Decorations
kutsumaki 沓巻

A decorative metal fitting *kanagu 金具, wound around the bottom…

Architecture, Decorations
kyō-no-maki 経の巻 ✓

Lit. sutra scrolls. Three or five cylindrical tiles found at the top of a lion-mouth roof *…

Architecture, Decorations
sagiashi 鷺足

Also sagi-no-ashi. Lit. "heron's leg." A type of long, curved leg found on a Chinese style desk, tōzukue…

Architecture, Decorations
sakakibashira 逆木柱 ✓

Also sakabashira 逆柱 or sakasabashira 逆さ柱. Lit. "upside down pillar."
1 An upside down…

Architecture, Decorations
samidare 五月雨

Lit. "fifth month rain." A geometric pattern used for fretwork muntins. The design is inspired by early summer rain, …

Architecture, Decorations
san'yō 三葉

Lit. "three leaves." A decorative pattern carved into the shape of three leaves; used particularly for metal fittings found…

Architecture, Decorations
sannojikuzushi 三の字崩 ✓

A type of decorative pattern used for muntins on transoms *ranma 欄間. The design…

Architecture, Decorations
sasaguri 笹繰

Concave curves carved out of the upper surface of the bracket arms *hijiki…

Architecture, Decorations
sasakanamono 笹金物 ✓

Lit. "bamboo-grass metal fitting." A long, narrow, metal fitting *kanagu 金具,…

Architecture, Decorations
sayagata 紗綾形 ✓

A design pattern of interlocking swastikas, manji 万字 (卍). Most sources agree that the term (a contraction of sa…

Architecture, Decorations
seifun 正吻 ✓

Also shifun 蚩吻. A decoration in the shape of a fictional animal found at each end of a main roof-ridge *…

Architecture, Decorations
seigaiha 青海波 ✓

1 Also pronounced seikaiha. A wave design made of the arches of concentric circles superimposed…

Art History, Painting, Decorations, Architecture
senjōmon 線条文

Lit. "line pattern." A design pattern found on a slanting strut *shirin 支輪,…

Architecture, Decorations
shakudō 赤銅

Lit. "gold bronze." Ornamental metal fittings *kazari kanagu …

Architecture, Decorations
shakujōbori 錫杖彫 ✓

Also shakujōbori 釈杖彫, yuengata 油煙形. A type of decorative carving *…

Architecture, Decorations
shibi 鴟尾 ✓

Also written 鵄尾, 蚩尾, 鮪; also called tobi-no-o 鴟の尾, kutsugata 沓形 (shoes tile) because it is thought to…

Architecture, Decorations
shichiyō 七葉

Lit. "seven leaves." A decoration in the shape of seven petals, used on a gable pendant *…

Architecture, Decorations
shide 四出

A decorative motif that is characterized by a central flower pattern surrounded by either a flower or leaf pattern that is…

Architecture, Decorations
shikami 顰 ✓

An abbreviation for *shikamibori 顰彫. Formerly also written shikami…

Architecture, Decorations
shikamibori 顰彫

Often abbreviated as *shikami 顰. The gouged-out or indented part…

Architecture, Decorations
shiken ikka 四間一花

Also ikka shiken 一花四間. A type of decorative flower pattern painted on coffered ceilings. Coffers *…

Architecture, Decorations
shiracha-iro 白茶色

Lit. "white-brown color." Also shiracha 白茶. A light brown color.

Architecture, Decorations
shiratsuchi-nuri 白土塗

To paint a surface with plaster *shikkui 漆喰 or a plastered…

Architecture, Decorations
shishibana 獅子鼻 ✓

A style of nosing *kibana 木鼻 carved to resemble the head and…

Architecture, Decorations
shiyō 四葉 ✓

Lit. "four leaves." Abbreviation of *shiyōza 四葉座. A decorative pattern carved…

Architecture, Decorations
shiyōza 四葉座 ✓

Also read yotsubaza. A metal nailhead cover *kugikakushi 釘隠 with…

Architecture, Decorations
shōgon 荘厳

The ornamentation of a Buddhist hall. A Buddhist statue made in a dignified and beautiful style by adding features such as a…

Architecture, Decorations
sudarezama 簾狭間

Also sudaresama. A transom *ranma 欄間, with openwork…

Architecture, Decorations
sukashi kaerumata 透蟇股 ✓

Also called *kurinuki kaerumata 刳抜蟇股. A frog-leg strut that is…

Architecture, Decorations
sutemayu 捨眉

A type of molding *kurigata 繰形 incised on the lower edge of a…

Architecture, Decorations

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JAANUS is the on-line Dictionary of Japanese Architectural and Art Historical Terminology compiled by Dr. Mary Neighbour Parent.

Originally built by the Atsumi International Scholarship Foundation, it is now hosted and maintained by the Media Center for Art History at Columbia University