Nail hiding - Kugakikashi

A wooden or metal decoration attached to a nageshi (rail-shaped panel) or door to hide the heads of nails. In the past, they were often hemispherical, and were called bai (rail-shaped panel), or manju (round-shaped panel) or chichi (round-shaped panel) metal fittings based on their shape. From the mid-Heian period, petal-shaped four- or six-leaf bases began to be attached to the nail-hiding panels of the nageshi, and as they further developed, the nail-hiding panels themselves became four-, six-, or eight-leaf shaped, and the surfaces were engraved with sujibori (rail-shaped panel), sukibori (rail-shaped panel), or fretwork carving, and were plated with gold to make them more gorgeous. In the early modern period, realistic decorations such as flowers, birds, and animals were often added.

[Kudou Yoshiaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

長押(なげし)や扉に打った釘の頭を隠すためにつけた木製や金属製の飾り。古くは半球状のものが多く、唄(ばい)、またはその形状から饅頭(まんじゅう)金物、乳(ちち)金物という。平安時代中期からは長押の釘隠に花弁形の四葉や六葉の座がつくようになり、さらに発展して釘隠自体が四葉、六葉、八葉形などになり、表面には筋(すじ)彫り、鋤(すき)彫り、透(すかし)彫りなどが施され、鍍金(めっき)されて華やかになる。近世では草花、鳥獣など写実的な飾りをつけることが多い。

［工藤圭章］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例