Sorin - Sorin

A bronze or iron ornament on the roof of a pagoda, at the top of the central pillar. The basic form is made up of seven parts, layered from the bottom up: the roban (light plate), the fukubachi (lower bowl), the ukebana (flowers received), the nine rings (nine wheels), the suien (water smoke), the dragon cart, and the hoju (jewel). From the ukebana to the jewel, a sakkan (pipe) is attached around the central pillar. The shape of the spire symbolizes the Indian stupa, with the stupa's cylindrical base represented as the roban (light plate), the burial mound as the lower bowl, the flat head as the ukebana (flowers received), the nine rings as the parasol cover, and the parasol pole as the sakkan (pipe). Of all the spires, the sakkan is the most elaborately designed, as it is attached to all four sides of the sakkan (pipe) and stands out. Famous examples include the mist of heavenly beings playing in the clouds at the East Pagoda of Yakushi-ji Temple in Nara, and the flame-like mist of the jeweled bells hanging below at the Five-Story Pagoda of Daigo-ji Temple in Kyoto. At the Five-Story Pagoda of Muroji Temple in Nara, there are no mist above the nine rings, but instead a treasure jar with a parasol cover. Also, the East and West Pagodas of Taima-ji Temple in Nara are unusual in that they only have eight nine rings. Meanwhile, at the Tahoto Pagoda, there are no mist above the nine rings, but instead a flower tray stacked in two or three tiers is used, and a jewel with flames circling it is placed on top of that, and a chain of jewels hangs down from the flower tray to the corner of the roof.

[Kudou Yoshiaki]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

仏塔の屋上、心柱の頂部にある青銅製あるいは鉄製の飾り。基本形は七つの部分からなり、下から露盤(ろばん)、伏鉢(ふくばち)、受花(うけばな)（請花(うけばな)）、九輪(くりん)、水煙(すいえん)、竜車(りゅうしゃ)、宝珠(ほうじゅ)と重ねられ、受花から宝珠に至るまでは檫管(さっかん)が心柱の周りを覆って取り付けられている。相輪の形はインドのストゥーパ（仏塔）を象徴化したもので、ストゥーパの円筒形の台基が露盤として表され、墳丘が伏鉢、平頭が受花、傘蓋(さんがい)が九輪、そして傘竿(さんかん)が檫管に相当する。相輪のなかで水煙は檫管の四面に取り付けられて目だつので、もっとも意匠を凝らす。有名なのは奈良薬師寺東塔の、雲中に遊ぶ天人の水煙や、京都醍醐(だいご)寺五重塔の宝鐸(ほうたく)を下に吊(つ)るした火炎状の水煙である。奈良室生(むろう)寺五重塔では九輪上に水煙がなく、傘蓋のある宝瓶(ほうへい)がこれにかわる。また、奈良當麻(たいま)寺の東塔と西塔では、九輪が八輪分しかなく珍しい。一方、多宝塔では、九輪上には水煙を飾らず、2ないし3段重ねた華盤(かばん)と、その上に火炎の巡る宝珠を置く相輪となり、華盤から屋根隅に宝鎖(ほうさ)が垂れ下がる。

［工藤圭章］

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