
are a type of traditional East Asian lantern made of stone, wood, or metal. Originating in China, stone lanterns spread to Japan, Korea and Vietnam, though they are most commonly found in both China – extant in Buddhist temples and traditional Chinese gardens – and Japan.
In Japan, 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 shrine
A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion.
The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
s and also private homes started during the
Heian period
The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kammu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means in Japanese. It is a ...
(794–1185).
[
Stone lanterns have been known in China as early as the ]Han dynasty
The Han dynasty was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China (202 BC9 AD, 25–220 AD) established by Liu Bang and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–206 BC ...
(202 BCE–220 CE), and prevailed from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties all the way up to the Tang Dynasty
The Tang dynasty (, ; zh, c=唐朝), or the Tang Empire, was an Dynasties of China, imperial dynasty of China that ruled from 618 to 907, with an Wu Zhou, interregnum between 690 and 705. It was preceded by the Sui dynasty and followed ...
, when they were introduced to Japan. The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns in Japan can be found in Nara
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is an independent agency of the United States government within the executive branch, charged with the preservation and documentation of government and historical records. It is also task ...
. Taima-dera has a stone lantern built during the Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
, 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
A garden ornament or lawn ornament is a non-plant item used for garden, landscape, and park enhancement and decoration.
History
Early examples of the use of garden ornaments in western culture were seen in Roman gardens, Ancient Roman gardens ...
. 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.
can be classified in two main types: , which usually hang from the eaves of a roof, and , used in gardens and along the approach () of a shrine or temple. The two most common types of 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 and the pagoda
A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...
, the represents the five elements of Buddhist cosmology. The bottom-most piece, touching the ground, represents , the earth; the next section represents , or water; or fire, is represented by the section encasing the lantern's light or flame, while (air) and (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 a person's physical body will go back to their original, elemental form.
Hanging lanterns
Also called , hanging lanterns are small, four- or six-sided and made in metal or wood. They were introduced from China via Korea during the Nara period
The of the history of Japan covers the years from 710 to 794. Empress Genmei established the capital of Heijō-kyō (present-day Nara). Except for a five-year period (740–745), when the capital was briefly moved again, it remained the capita ...
and were initially used in Imperial palaces.
Bronze lanterns
Bronze lanterns, or have a long history in Japan, but are not as common or as diverse in form as the stone ones. In their classic form they are divided in sections that represent the five elements of Buddhist cosmology.
Many have been designated as Cultural Properties of Japan
A is administered by the Government of Japan, Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology), and includes Tangible Cultural Properties of Japan, tangible properties (structures ...
by the Japanese government. The one in front of Tōdai-ji
is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...
's for example has been declared a National Treasure. Kōfuku-ji has in its museum one built in 816 and which is also a National Treasure.
Stone lanterns
(platform lantern) are most often made of stone; in this case, they are referred to as .
One of the main historic centres of production of stone lanterns is Okazaki, Aichi
is a Cities of Japan, city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 386,999 in 164,087 households, and a population density of 999 persons per km2. The total area of the city was .
Geography
Okazaki is in the ...
. The traditional stonemasonry
Stonemasonry or stonecraft is the creation of buildings, structures, and sculpture using rock (geology), stone as the primary material. Stonemasonry is the craft of shaping and arranging stones, often together with Mortar (masonry), mortar ...
there was registered by the government as a Japanese craft
Traditional in Japan have a long tradition and history. Included in the category of traditional crafts are handicrafts produced by an individual or a group, as well as work produced by independent studio artists working with traditional craft mat ...
in 1979.
Structure
The traditional components of a stone (or bronze) lantern are, from top to bottom:[Iwanami Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version]
; A.
: The onion-shaped part at the very top of the finial
A finial () or hip-knob is an element marking the top or end of some object, often formed to be a decorative feature.
In architecture, it is a small decorative device, employed to emphasize the Apex (geometry), apex of a dome, spire, tower, roo ...
.
; B.
: The lotus-shaped support of the , together symbolizing the element of ''Kū'' (空) or ''sora'', translated as aether, space, void or consciousness.
; C.
: A conical or pyramidal umbrella covering the firebox. The corners may curl upwards to form the so-called , symbolizing 風 ''Fū'' or ''kaze'', the element of wind
Wind is the natural movement of atmosphere of Earth, air or other gases relative to a planetary surface, planet's surface. Winds occur on a range of scales, from thunderstorm flows lasting tens of minutes, to local breezes generated by heatin ...
or air.
; D.
: The firebox where the fire is lit, symbolizing the element of 火 ''Ka'' or ''hi'', meaning "Fire
Fire is the rapid oxidation of a fuel in the exothermic chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction Product (chemistry), products.
Flames, the most visible portion of the fire, are produced in the combustion re ...
".
; E.
: The platform for the fire box, symbolizing the element of 水 ''Sui'' or ''mizu'', meaning "Water
Water is an inorganic compound with the chemical formula . It is a transparent, tasteless, odorless, and Color of water, nearly colorless chemical substance. It is the main constituent of Earth's hydrosphere and the fluids of all known liv ...
".
; F.
: The post, typically oriented vertically and either circular or square in cross-section, possibly with a corresponding "belt" near its middle; occasionally also formed as a sideways coin or disk, as a set of tall thin lotus petals, or as between one and four arched legs (in "snow-viewing" lanterns); absent in hanging lanterns.
;
: The base, usually rounded or hexagonal, and absent in a buried lantern (see below).
;
: A variously-shaped slab of rock sometimes present under the base; together the post, base and platform symbolize the element of 地
''Di'' () is one of the oldest Chinese terms for the earth and a key concept or figure in Chinese philosophy and religion. It is widely considered to be one of three powers (', ) which are Heaven, Earth, and Humanity (, ).
There is a significant ...
''Chi'' (sometimes ''ji'') or ''tsuchi'', meaning "Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun and the only astronomical object known to Planetary habitability, harbor life. This is enabled by Earth being an ocean world, the only one in the Solar System sustaining liquid surface water. Almost all ...
".
The lantern's structure is meant to symbolize the five elements of Buddhist cosmology. With the sole exception of the fire box, any parts may be absent. For example, an , or movable lantern (see below) lacks a post, and rests directly on the ground. It also may lack an umbrella.
Types
Stone lanterns can be classified into five basic groups, each possessing numerous variants.
Pedestal lanterns
, or pedestal lanterns, are the most common. The base is always present and the fire box is decorated with carvings of deer, peonies or other figures. More than 20 subtypes exist. The following are among the most common:
;
: Named after Kasuga-taisha, it is very common at both temples and shrines. The umbrella is small and has either six or eight sides with at the corners. The fire box is either hexagonal or square with carvings representing deer, the sun or moon, or other designs. Tall and thin, it is often found near the second of a shrine.
;
: The second oldest stone lantern in Japan, found at Kasuga Shrine, is a or citron
The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...
tree stone lantern. This style goes back to at least as the Heian period. The post has rings carved at the bottom, middle and top, and the hexagonal base and middle platform may be carved with lotuses or other auspicious motifs. The umbrella is simple and has neither nor an . The seems to stem from a citron
The citron (''Citrus medica''), historically cedrate, is a large fragrant citrus fruit with a thick Peel (fruit), rind. It is said to resemble a 'huge, rough lemon'. It is one of the Citrus taxonomy#Citrons, original citrus fruits from which al ...
tree that used to stand near the lantern at Kasuga Shrine. This type of lantern became popular in tea house gardens during the Edo period.
Buried lanterns
, or buried lanterns, are moderately sized lanterns whose post does not rest on a base, but goes directly into the ground. Because of their modest size, they are used along paths or at stone basins in gardens. The following are some examples:
;
: This common type is named after Furuta Shigenari, a nobleman popularly known as Oribe, who designed it to be used in gardens. The fire box is a cube with a window on each side: the front and rear are square, the right and left are shaped as a crescent moon and the full moon respectively. The umbrella is small and four-sided.
;
: This is simply an with hidden Christian symbols. This style was born during the persecution of the Christian religion in Japan, when many continued to practice their faith in secret.
;
: A typical , its fire box has square openings on two facing sides and double-triangle openings on the other two. This type of lantern is used at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto
Kyoto ( or ; Japanese language, Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in the Kansai region of Japan's largest and most populous island of Honshu. , the city had a population of 1.46 million, making it t ...
. The roof is square and rounded.
Movable lanterns
, or movable lanterns, owe their name to the fact that they just rest on the ground, and are not fixed in any way. This type probably derived from hanging lanterns, which they often strongly resemble, left to rest on the ground. They are commonly used around house entrances and along paths.
One example of a movable lantern would be the , a small stone box with a low roof. Its name, "three lights lantern", is due to its windows, shaped like the sun and the moon in the front and rear, and like a star at the ends. This type of lantern is usually placed near water. It can be found in the garden of the Katsura Villa.
Legged lanterns
, or legged lanterns, have as a base not a post but from one to six curved legs, and a wide umbrella with a finial either low or absent. Relatively low, they are used exclusively in gardens. The traditional placement is near the water, and a three-legged lantern will often have two legs in the water, and one on land. The umbrella can be round or have from three to eight sides, while the fire box is usually hexagonal.
Legged lanterns were probably developed during the Momoyama period, but the oldest extant examples, found at the Katsura Villa in Kyoto, go back only to the early Edo period.
are lanterns made with rough, unpolished stones.
Gallery
Hanging metal lanterns
Golden lanterns of Miedo, Danjogaran, Koyasan, 2016.jpg, A votive hanging lantern
Rokkaku-tsuri-toro nishiwaki-narita-san 六角釣灯篭1014722.jpg, A hexagonal hanging lantern
Fushimi Inari lantern 01.jpg, Hanging lantern at Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kasuga-taisha17ns4592.jpg, Hanging lanterns lit at Kasuga-taisha
Lantern, Viet - Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi, Vietnam - DSC02559.JPG, Exhibit in the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology - Hanoi, Vietnam
Lanterne dans le pavillon des âmes célèbres (Cité impériale, Hué) (4381219337).jpg, Hanging lantern at Imperial City of Huế
The Imperial City (; vi-hantu, 皇城) is a walled enclosure within the Fortifications of Vauban, Vauban style citadel (; vi-hantu, 京城) of the city of Huế, the former imperial capital of Vietnam during the Nguyễn dynasty. It contains th ...
Lantern (40304315071).jpg, Hanging lantern at Temple of Literature, Hanoi
File:Huế (2333102721).jpg, Hanging lanterns in Huế
Huế (formerly Thừa Thiên Huế province) is the southernmost coastal Municipalities of Vietnam, city in the North Central Coast region, the Central Vietnam, Central of Vietnam, approximately in the center of the country. It borders Quảng ...
Bronze lanterns
File:Chi Lin Nunnery 10, Mar 06.JPG, Bronze and stone lanterns in Chi Lin Nunnery, Hongkong
File:Horyu-ji43s3200.jpg, Bronze lantern at Hōryū-ji
is a Buddhist temple that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in Ikaruga, Nara, Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Built shortly after Buddhism was introduced to Japan, it is also one of the oldest Buddh ...
File:NaraTodaijiL0202.jpg, 8th century bronze lantern at Tōdai-ji
is a Buddhist temple complex that was once one of the powerful Nanto Shichi Daiji, Seven Great Temples, located in the city of Nara, Nara, Nara, Japan. The construction of the temple was an attempt to imitate Chinese temples from the much-admir ...
(National Treasure)
File:NikkoRotatingLantern4994.jpg, Bronze lantern at Nikkō Tōshō-gū
File:Latarnia w Miyajima.JPG, Bronze lantern at Itsukushima Shrine
is a Shinto shrine on the island of Itsukushima (popularly known as Miyajima), best known for its "floating" ''torii''.Louis-Frédéric, Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric (2005)"''Itsukushima-jinja''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 407. It is in the cit ...
Stone lanterns
File:北投不動明王石窟石燈籠.jpg, Stone lantern in Taiwan
File:Wuzhen old town.JPG, Water lantern in Zhejiang Province
File:Kasuga-taisha30bs4592.jpg, of the type
File:Stone lantern - local shrine - kanagawa - 2023 12 20.webm, 360° rotation around a stone lantern at a local Shinto shrine
A Stuart D. B. Picken, 1994. p. xxiii is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more kami, , the deities of the Shinto religion.
The Also called the . is where a shrine's patron is or are enshrined.Iwanami Japanese dic ...
in Kanagawa Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Kanagawa Prefecture is the List of Japanese prefectures by population, second-most populous prefecture of Japan at 9,221,129 (1 April 2022) and third-dens ...
File:TojiKanchiinKirishitan.jpg, A
File:Dogakuji 08.JPG, of the type
File:Kita-in Kawagoe Okidourou.jpg, An
File:Manninko-Joyato01.jpg, A
File:Jochi-ji-stone lantern.jpg, Pagoda
A pagoda is a tiered tower with multiple eaves common to Thailand, Cambodia, Nepal, India, China, Japan, Korea, Myanmar, Vietnam, and other parts of Asia. Most pagodas were built to have a religious function, most often Buddhist, but some ...
-shaped lantern at Jōchi-ji
File:Hiromine-jinja Stone Lanterns.jpg, A
File:Monuments fell down by 2011 Tōhoku Earthquake in Tokiwa-shrine.JPG, Stone lanterns toppled by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake in Mito, Ibaraki Prefecture
is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Ibaraki Prefecture has a population of 2,828,086 (1 July 2023) and has a geographic area of . Ibaraki Prefecture borders Fukushima Prefecture to the north, ...
, showing the numerous pieces of carved stone that make up each lantern
File:Korea-Busan-Beomeosa 3299-06 Stone Lantern.JPG, A stone lantern in Korea
File:Đèn đá kiểu Việt ở chùa Thiên Mụ, tháng 3 năm 2021 (2).jpg, A stone lantern at Thiên Mụ Temple, Vietnam
File:Chùa Phật Cô đơn 2022 (đèn đá thấp kiểu Việt Nam).jpg, A stone lanterns at Phật Cô Đơn Temple, Vietnam
File:Co do Hoa Lu 118.JPG, Stone lanterns in Đinh Tiên Hoàng Temple, Ninh Bình, Vietnam
File:Đèn đá kiểu Việt Nam bằng cẩm thạch tại Chùa Bửu Thắng, Tân Phú, tháng 5 năm 2021 (1).jpg, A stone lantern in Bửu Thắng Temple, HCMC, Vietnam
File:Japanese_lantern_in_Washington.jpg, Japanese lantern in Washington
variants
File:Yuko-En on the Elkhorn, Tahara Snow Lantern.jpg, Four-legged
File:IMG 2660.jpg, Three legged . One leg rests on ground, two in water.
File:IMG 2590.jpg, Two-legged
File:Rankei-dourou.jpg, One-legged
See also
* Traditional lighting equipment of Japan
The traditional lighting equipment of Japan includes the , the , the , and the .
The is a lamp consisting of paper stretched over a frame of bamboo, wood or metal. The paper protected the flame from the wind. Burning oil in a stone, metal, ...
* Glossary of Shinto
This is the glossary of Shinto, including major terms on the subject. Words followed by an asterisk (*) are illustrated by an image in one of the photo galleries.
__NOTOC__
A
* – A red papier-mâché cow bobblehead toy; a kind of ''engimono ...
Notes
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Stone Lantern
Buddhist ritual implements
Garden ornaments
Japanese Buddhist architecture
Light fixtures
Shinto architecture
Shinto religious objects