Kazimiera
08-15-2015, 05:28 PM
Japanese Shinto Shrine Torii
A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred.
Torii parts and ornamentations
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Torii_nomenclature.svg/1200px-Torii_nomenclature.svg.png
Torii may be unpainted or painted vermilion and black. The color black is limited to the kasagi and the nemaki. Very rarely torii can be found also in other colors. Kamakura's Kamakura-gū for example has a white and red one.
The kasagi may be reinforced underneath by a second horizontal lintel called shimaki or shimagi.
Kasagi and the shimaki may have an upward curve called sorimashi.
The nuki is often held in place by wedges. The kusabi in many cases are purely ornamental.
At the center of the nuki there may be a supporting strut called gakuzuka, sometimes covered by a tablet carrying the name of the shrine.
The pillars often rest on a white stone ring called kamebara or daiishi. The stone is sometimes replaced by a decorative black sleeve called nemaki.
At the top of the pillars there may be a decorative ring called daiwa.
The gate has a purely symbolic function and therefore there usually are no doors or board fences, but exceptions exist, as for example in the case of Ōmiwa Shrine's triple-arched torii.
Torii styles
Structurally, the simplest is the shime torii or chūren torii. Probably one of the oldest types of torii, it consists of two posts with a sacred rope called shimenawa tied between them.
All other torii can be divided in two families, the shinmei family and the myōjin family. Torii of the first have only straight parts, the second have both straight and curved parts.
Torii of the shinmei family
The shinmei torii and its variants are characterized by straight upper lintels.
Shime torii: just two posts and a shimenawa
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Shime_torii.svg/1200px-Shime_torii.svg.png
https://www.univie.ac.at/rel_jap/w/images/5/52/Omiwa.jpg
Shinmei torii
The shinmei torii, which gives the name to the family, is constituted solely by a lintel (kasagi) and two pillars (hashira) united by a tie beam (nuki). In its simplest form, all four elements are rounded and the pillars have no inclination. When the nuki is rectangular in section, it is called Yasukuni torii, from Tokyo's Yasukuni Jinja. It is believed to be the oldest torii style.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Shinmei_torii_2.svg/1200px-Shinmei_torii_2.svg.png
http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/data_image/image_s/shinmeitorii.jpg
Ise torii
Ise torii are gates found only at the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine at Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. For this reason, they are also called Jingū torii, from Jingū, Ise Grand Shrine's official Japanese name.
There are two variants. The most common is extremely similar to a shinmei torii, its pillars however have a slight inward inclination and its nuki is kept in place by wedges (kusabi). The kasagi is pentagonal in section. The ends of the kasagi are slightly thicker, giving the impression of an upward slant. All these torii were built after the 14th century.
The second type is similar to the first, but has also a secondary, rectangular lintel (shimaki) under the pentagonal kasagi.
This and the shinmei torii style started becoming more popular during the early 20th century at the time of State Shinto because they were considered the oldest and most prestigious
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Geku_-_Ise_torii.svg/1200px-Geku_-_Ise_torii.svg.png
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/pics/torii-gate_ise-shrine.jpg
Kashima Torii
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Kashima_Torii.svg/1199px-Kashima_Torii.svg.png
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/50096004.jpg
Kasuga torii
The Kasuga torii is a myōjin torii with straight top lintels. The style takes its name from Kasuga-taisha's ichi-no-torii, or main torii.
The pillars have an inclination and are slightly tapered. The nuki protrudes and is held in place by kusabi driven in on both sides.
This torii was the first to be painted vermilion and to adopt a shimaki at Kasuga Taisha, the shrine from which it takes its name.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Kasuga_torii.svg/1200px-Kasuga_torii.svg.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Awashima-jinja_torii.jpg
Hachiman torii
Almost identical to a kasuga torii, but with the two upper lintels at a slant, the Hachiman torii first appeared during the Heian period. The name comes from the fact that this type of torii is often used at Hachiman shrines.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Hachiman_torii.svg/1200px-Hachiman_torii.svg.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Kiyamaji_11.JPG/1200px-Kiyamaji_11.JPG
Kuroki torii
The kuroki torii is a shinmei torii built with unbarked wood. Because this type of torii requires replacement at three years intervals, it is becoming rare. The most notorious example is Nonomiya Shrine in Kyoto. The shrine now however uses a torii made of synthetic material which simulates the look of wood.
http://image.hotdog.hu/user/buku3/magazin/kuroki_torii.jpg
Mihashira torii
The mihashira torii or Mitsubashira Torii is a type of torii which appears to be formed from three individual torii. It is thought by some to have been built by early Japanese Christians to represent the Holy Trinity.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Mihashira_Torii.svg/1200px-Mihashira_Torii.svg.png
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/80810437.jpg
A torii is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred.
Torii parts and ornamentations
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/98/Torii_nomenclature.svg/1200px-Torii_nomenclature.svg.png
Torii may be unpainted or painted vermilion and black. The color black is limited to the kasagi and the nemaki. Very rarely torii can be found also in other colors. Kamakura's Kamakura-gū for example has a white and red one.
The kasagi may be reinforced underneath by a second horizontal lintel called shimaki or shimagi.
Kasagi and the shimaki may have an upward curve called sorimashi.
The nuki is often held in place by wedges. The kusabi in many cases are purely ornamental.
At the center of the nuki there may be a supporting strut called gakuzuka, sometimes covered by a tablet carrying the name of the shrine.
The pillars often rest on a white stone ring called kamebara or daiishi. The stone is sometimes replaced by a decorative black sleeve called nemaki.
At the top of the pillars there may be a decorative ring called daiwa.
The gate has a purely symbolic function and therefore there usually are no doors or board fences, but exceptions exist, as for example in the case of Ōmiwa Shrine's triple-arched torii.
Torii styles
Structurally, the simplest is the shime torii or chūren torii. Probably one of the oldest types of torii, it consists of two posts with a sacred rope called shimenawa tied between them.
All other torii can be divided in two families, the shinmei family and the myōjin family. Torii of the first have only straight parts, the second have both straight and curved parts.
Torii of the shinmei family
The shinmei torii and its variants are characterized by straight upper lintels.
Shime torii: just two posts and a shimenawa
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/06/Shime_torii.svg/1200px-Shime_torii.svg.png
https://www.univie.ac.at/rel_jap/w/images/5/52/Omiwa.jpg
Shinmei torii
The shinmei torii, which gives the name to the family, is constituted solely by a lintel (kasagi) and two pillars (hashira) united by a tie beam (nuki). In its simplest form, all four elements are rounded and the pillars have no inclination. When the nuki is rectangular in section, it is called Yasukuni torii, from Tokyo's Yasukuni Jinja. It is believed to be the oldest torii style.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/26/Shinmei_torii_2.svg/1200px-Shinmei_torii_2.svg.png
http://www.aisf.or.jp/~jaanus/deta/data_image/image_s/shinmeitorii.jpg
Ise torii
Ise torii are gates found only at the Inner Shrine and Outer Shrine at Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture. For this reason, they are also called Jingū torii, from Jingū, Ise Grand Shrine's official Japanese name.
There are two variants. The most common is extremely similar to a shinmei torii, its pillars however have a slight inward inclination and its nuki is kept in place by wedges (kusabi). The kasagi is pentagonal in section. The ends of the kasagi are slightly thicker, giving the impression of an upward slant. All these torii were built after the 14th century.
The second type is similar to the first, but has also a secondary, rectangular lintel (shimaki) under the pentagonal kasagi.
This and the shinmei torii style started becoming more popular during the early 20th century at the time of State Shinto because they were considered the oldest and most prestigious
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d7/Geku_-_Ise_torii.svg/1200px-Geku_-_Ise_torii.svg.png
http://www.asiaexplorers.com/pics/torii-gate_ise-shrine.jpg
Kashima Torii
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2a/Kashima_Torii.svg/1199px-Kashima_Torii.svg.png
http://commondatastorage.googleapis.com/static.panoramio.com/photos/original/50096004.jpg
Kasuga torii
The Kasuga torii is a myōjin torii with straight top lintels. The style takes its name from Kasuga-taisha's ichi-no-torii, or main torii.
The pillars have an inclination and are slightly tapered. The nuki protrudes and is held in place by kusabi driven in on both sides.
This torii was the first to be painted vermilion and to adopt a shimaki at Kasuga Taisha, the shrine from which it takes its name.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/8b/Kasuga_torii.svg/1200px-Kasuga_torii.svg.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/95/Awashima-jinja_torii.jpg
Hachiman torii
Almost identical to a kasuga torii, but with the two upper lintels at a slant, the Hachiman torii first appeared during the Heian period. The name comes from the fact that this type of torii is often used at Hachiman shrines.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/db/Hachiman_torii.svg/1200px-Hachiman_torii.svg.png
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/73/Kiyamaji_11.JPG/1200px-Kiyamaji_11.JPG
Kuroki torii
The kuroki torii is a shinmei torii built with unbarked wood. Because this type of torii requires replacement at three years intervals, it is becoming rare. The most notorious example is Nonomiya Shrine in Kyoto. The shrine now however uses a torii made of synthetic material which simulates the look of wood.
http://image.hotdog.hu/user/buku3/magazin/kuroki_torii.jpg
Mihashira torii
The mihashira torii or Mitsubashira Torii is a type of torii which appears to be formed from three individual torii. It is thought by some to have been built by early Japanese Christians to represent the Holy Trinity.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/37/Mihashira_Torii.svg/1200px-Mihashira_Torii.svg.png
http://static.panoramio.com/photos/large/80810437.jpg