Ceramic Roof Tile - Nokimarugawara Style Japan Kawara

Description Antique Japanese ceramic roof tile decorated with Japanese family crest. Roof tiles are called kawara in Japan where they are used not only to protect a home from the elements but also as important architectural ornaments. Roof eaves are sometimes decorated with special pendant tiles called nokimarugawara which may feature a circular disk attached to a half-round tile. The disk (gatou) will often feature an image such as a household seal (kamon) or an image thought to act as a protective charm. About the Listed Item The design pattern on this particular nokimarugawara-style gatou is visible in raised relief. The tile does have some chips and the entire piece has been subject to a good deal of outdoor exposure and weathering, creating a beautiful natural patina of age. The tile dates from the mid Japanese Showa period (1926-1989) or earlier and was acquired in the historic city of Shizuoka, Japan near the foot of Mt. Fuji. Size: Diameter: 3.3 inches (8.5 centimeters) Thickness: 1.2 inches (3.0 centimeters) Weight: 8.3 ounces (236 grams) More about Japanese roof tiles Tiled roofs (hongawarabuki) are a distinguishing feature of most Japanese homes, as well as Buddhist temples, Shinto (native religion of Japan) shrines and many other types of old buildings. Kawara is the word the Japanese use to describe roof tiles in general, though there are in fact many styles and types of tiles with regional variations, and a large and specialized vocabulary is used to describe these. Japanese roof tiles are typically very well made and often outlive their intended function protecting structures from the elements. As a result, old roof tiles can sometimes be spotted in Japan being reused for unique and interesting purposes. Old roof tiles are sometimes used to reinforce earthen retaining walls, or stacked one next to another to make garden borders. Roof tiles are also buried vertically along dirt walkways with just the tips exposed a fraction of an inch above the surface to create artistic patterns and to act as paving surfaces. Decorative end caps called onigawara (ogre tiles) look especially nice as accent pieces within the home or on patios and especially when positioned amidst garden foliage. item code: R1S6-0005640 ship code: G3