Description: Traditional Japanese Bronze Hanging Lantern 釣り灯篭 Turitoro Antique Vintage Garden Gorgeous Traditional Japanese Bronze Lantern with Sakura Kamon family crest. Nice oxidisation to the metal, Taisho period. Can be hung or placed, good weight to it and high quality craftwork. Candle light looks absolutely stunning through this lantern. (Note: lit up photo is of similar lantern I sold previously which had a different family crest design) H36cm x D20cm 3.2kg Please check out my other listings for more Japanese vintage, retro, industrial and antique bits. Takaoka Tradititonal Craft Japanese Unique Emblem System The term "Kamon" refers to a crest used in Japan to indicate one's origins; that is, one's family lineage, blood line, ancestry and status from ancient times. It is also referred to simply as “Mondokoro” or “Mon”. It is said that there are more than 20,000 distinct individual Kamon in Japan. Kamon are often referred to as Family Crests which are European heraldic device similar to the Kamon in function, but it is different in many ways. Except for European heraldic device, none of the countries have similar traditional heraldic device system which identifies family or clan. Kamon is a unique culture and tradition you can find only in Japan. tōrō (灯籠 / 灯篭, 灯楼, light basket, light tower) In Japan, a tōrō (灯籠 / 灯篭, 灯楼, light basket, light tower) is a traditional lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Like many other elements of Japanese traditional architecture, it originated in China where they can still be found in Buddhist temples and Chinese gardens. They are not as common in Korea as they are in China or Japan. In Japan, tōrō were originally used only in Buddhist temples, where they lined and illuminated paths. Lit lanterns were then considered an offering to Buddha. Their use in Shinto shrines and also private homes started during the Heian period (794–1185) The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns can be found in Nara. Taima-dera has a stone lantern built during the Nara period, while Kasuga-taisha has one of the following Heian period. During the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1568–1600) stone lanterns were popularized by tea masters, who used them as garden ornaments. Soon they started to develop new types according to the need. In modern gardens they have a purely ornamental function and are laid along paths, near water, or next to a building. Tōrō can be classified in two main types, the tsuri-dōrō (釣灯籠・掻灯・吊り灯籠, lit. hanging lamp), which usually hang from the eaves of a roof, and the dai-dōrō (台灯籠, lit. platform lamp) used in gardens and along the approach (sandō) of a shrine or temple. The two most common types of dai-dōrō are the bronze lantern and the stone lantern, which look like hanging lanterns laid to rest on a pedestal. In its complete, original form (some of its elements may be either missing or additions), like the gorintō and the pagoda, the dai-dōrō represents the five elements of Buddhist cosmology.The bottom-most piece, touching the ground, represents chi, the earth; the next section represents sui, or water; ka or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern's light or flame, while fū (air) and kū (void or spirit) are represented by the last two sections, top-most and pointing towards the sky. The segments express the idea that after death our physical bodies will go back to their original, elemental form.
Price: 1395 GBP
Location: Hove
End Time: 2025-01-06T10:17:28.000Z
Shipping Cost: 114.33 GBP
Product Images
Item Specifics
Returns Accepted: ReturnsNotAccepted
Primary Material: Bronze
Antique: Yes
Product: Lantern
Region of Origin: Japanese
Country of Origin: Japan
