is a Japanese ornamental
tile
Tiles are usually thin, square or rectangular coverings manufactured from hard-wearing material such as ceramic, stone, metal, baked clay, or even glass. They are generally fixed in place in an array to cover roofs, floors, walls, edges, or o ...
set on both ends of the ridgepole that tops a shingled roof. The ''
kanji
are the logographic Chinese characters taken from the Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script and used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese ...
'' for the word mean "kite" and "tail" respectively. Because it resembles a shoe, it is sometimes also called a , meaning "shoe shape".
''Shibi'' often take the form of a ''
shachihoko
A – or simply – is a sea monster in Japanese folklore with the head of a tiger and the body of a carp covered entirely in black or grey scales.Joya. ''Japan and Things Japanese.'' Taylor and Francis, 2017;2016;, doi:10.4324/9780203041130. Ac ...
''.
See also
*''
Shisa
is a traditional Ryukyuan cultural artifact and decoration derived from Chinese guardian lions, often seen in similar pairs, resembling a cross between a lion and a dog, from Okinawan mythology. Shisa are wards, believed to protect from some ...
'', ceramic lions on roofs or by gates
*
Chinese roof charms, multiple different species
*''
Chiwen
''Chiwen'' () is a Chinese dragon, and in Chinese mythology is one of the 9 sons of the dragon. He is depicted in imperial roof decorations and other ornamental motifs in traditional Chinese architecture and art.
The name for this dragon is ...
'', origin of Shibi in China
References
Much of the content of this article comes from the equivalent Japanese-language version (accessed April 1, 2006).
Japanese architectural features
Roof tiles
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