Japanese Garden Lanterns
Standard lanterns form an important
feature of all Japanese gardens .
It is recorded that the first stone
lantern constructed in Japan was erected
in the in the beginning of the seventh
century. In
China , from which country many
ideas in gardening were introduced, this particular kind of ornament
is not found. It has been customary
in Japan to present lanterns of
stone or bronze to Buddhist temples
for the purpose of adorning the
courts and paved approaches. Garden
lanterns are used singly in combination
with rocks, trees, shrubs, fences, and water basins. It is imperative
that they should harmonise in scale
and character with the adjacent
landscape .The usual positions selected
are: at the base of a hill, on
an island, on the banks of a lake, near a well and at the side of
a water basin .
The primary intention
of these garden lanterns is not to illuminate
the grounds , but to form architectural
ornaments contrasting with the natural
features . The original model for
standard lanterns dates back to
the Ashikaga period and goes by
the name " Kasuga Shape ,"
after a Shinto deity to whom one
of the ancient temples is dedicated
. Other examples of lanterns are
:- " Oribe Shape " is
named after the philospher Furuta
Oribe , and is used to decorate
his tomb .
It has a square fire
- box in the form of a temple ,
supported upon an oblong standard
with no base . "Rankei gata
" or Valley Lantern , attributed
to the artist Taishin .It has an
hexagonal or octagonal head covered
with a curved roof , carried upon
a slender arched stone strut , dowelled
at the bottom into a flat slab .
This form has an unstable appearance
, but when introduced in to the
garden is placed by the border of
a lake , so as to project over the
water .
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