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 shrines and also private homes started during the Heian period (794–1185).
Stone lanterns have been known in China as early as the Han dynasty (202 BCE–220 CE), and prevailed from the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties all the way up to the Tang Dynasty, when they were introduced to Japan. The oldest extant bronze and stone lanterns in Japan can be found in Nara. Taima-dera has a stone lantern built during the Nara period, 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. 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, 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, copper or wood. They were introduced from China via Korea during the Nara period 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 by the Japanese government. The one in front of Tōdai-ji'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
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. The traditional stonemasonry there was registered by the government as a Japanese craft in 1979.
Structure
The traditional components of a stone (or bronze) lantern are, from top to bottom: A. The onion-shaped part at the very top of the finial. B. The lotus-shaped support of the . C. A conical or pyramidal umbrella covering the firebox. The corners may curl upwards to form the so-called . D. The firebox where the fire is lit. E. The platform for the fire box. 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.
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 or peonies. More than 20 subtypes exist. The following are among the most common: