A new perspective on the evolution of "Kawara" roof tiles in Ryukyu: A multidisciplinary non-destructive analysis of roof tile transition at Shuri Castle, Ryukyu Islands, Japan.

ABSTRACT: A unique historical architecture was created at Shuri Castle (Shuri-jo) in the Ryukyu Islands by its "Kawara" roof tiles. After the 13th and 14th centuries, Kawara tiles were introduced to the Ryukyu Islands from several regions, including China, Korea, and mainland Japan, and evolved shapes and patterns that are unique to this island region. However, the transition of some internal features, such as the chemical components and microstructure, had not been analyzed. This study used a multi-faceted approach for such internal data and non-destructive quantitative methods to propose a new perspective on the evolution of historical Ryukyuan Kawara. We analyzed two styles of Ryukyuan Kawara from the 13th to 15th centuries and found that the material processing and firing conditions of the two s

SUBMITTER: Aoyama H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9668144 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature