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JAANUS

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  • (-) Decorations (55)
  • Architecture (55)
  • Art History (1)
  • Sculpture (1)

Displaying 1 - 55 of 55
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
taiheibire 大瓶鰭

Also oigata 笈形, *gasshōhire 合掌鰭. A pair of decorative sculpted…

Architecture, Decorations
taka-no-hashi 鷹の嘴

Lit. "hawk's beak." A decorative, curved pattern often found on moldings. The pattern has pointed tips like a bird's beak.…

Architecture, Decorations
take-no-fushi ranma 竹の節欄間 ✓

Also take-no-fushi 竹の節. Lit. "bamboo joint transom." A type of transom shaped like a balustrade which became…

Architecture, Decorations
taru-no-kuchi 樽の口

1 An abbreviation of taru-no-kuchi kanamono 樽の口金物. Part of the metal cover *…

Architecture, Decorations
tarukisaki kanamono 垂木先金物

A decorative metal fitting *kazari kanagu 飾金具 fixed to the end of a…

Architecture, Decorations
tasuki 襷 ✓

1 Two interact lines, strings or rails diagonally forming a pattern of diamond shapes. Sometimes another…

Architecture, Decorations
tasukigōshi 襷格子

Also *hishigōshi 菱格子. A type of lattice *…

Architecture, Decorations
tatebishi 竪菱

Also written 立菱. A longitudinal diamond pattern which consists a series of repeated upright diamond shapes. See …

Architecture, Decorations
tengai 天蓋

1 Also sangai 傘蓋, hōgai 宝蓋, kagai 華蓋, kengai 懸蓋. Sk: chatra…

Architecture, Decorations, Art History, Sculpture
tonbo kanagu 蜻蛉金具

Lit. "dragonfly metal fitting." A type of decorative metal fitting *kazari kanagu…

Architecture, Decorations
toshoku 塗色 ✓

The colors of paint found on Japanese style *wayō 和様 temples.…

Architecture, Decorations
tsukemen kurigata 付け面繰形

Lit. "attached surface molding." An incised or molded decoration *kurigata 繰形…

Architecture, Decorations
tsuki-no-ji kuzushi 月の字崩

A geometrical pattern based on the character 月, tsuki (moon), and found on transoms *…

Architecture, Decorations
tsukuridashi kurigata 作り出し繰形

An incised or molded decoration *kurigata 繰形 applied to an…

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