History of Lanterns Activity
Use the information below and links to complete the history of lanterns activity below.
Lantern Vocabulary
Parts of a stone lantern Tachi-doro
About Japanese Lanterns:
Stone and bronze lanterns have been used in Japanese temple precincts and gardens for hundreds of years. The use of stone lanterns dates back to 600 A.D., when they were brought from China. Originally, lanterns were used to line entrances to temples and pagodas. Some of the earliest lanterns had compartments for an oil lamp. The lamps were lit as an offering to the Buddha. When lanterns were introduced into Japanese tea gardens, they became popular as a garden element. These lanterns lit the way through a garden for an evening tea ceremony. In contemporary gardens, lanterns are placed for aesthetic purposes. Japanese lanterns are positioned along a curve in a path, near water, or near a building. Japanese lanterns come in a number of different forms. Lanterns on a vertical post are called pedestal lanterns (tachi-doro), other lanterns have multiple supports and are called legged lanterns (ashitsuki-doro). A buried lantern (ikekomi-doro) has its base sunk directly into the soil. The parts of a pedestal lantern are labeled on (Student Handout Two). (from http://www.huntington.org/uploadedFiles/Files/PDFs/BGJGlanterns.pdf) |
The images below are various types of Japanese Lanterns |