 | I was at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria on Sunday to see an exhibition entitled "The Enduring Arts of China." It's an interesting exhibition and we were ably guided through it by one of the gallery's docents whose name I neglected to collect. I'll write more about the exhibition in a forthcoming post. Today's photos are of a Japanese Shinto Shrine that is located in a small garden at the rear of the Gallery. It is not a part the current exhibition but is permanently on display. The blurb below is from some information plaques in front of the shrine.Japanese Shinto Shrine (1899-1900)
from Togo Village, Japan
This village shrine represents a very fine example of Meiji era shrine carpentry. It is the work of a miydaiku or shrine carpenter who probably laboured for more than a year to complete it. The building has a copper-shingled gable roof, on a wooden structure which rests on a hand-hewn kamachi sandstone base. The elegant building fits together in a complex joinery of interlocking beams and posts. Made of keyaki, a dense hardwood, the shrine is highly resistant to rot and insect damage. The powerfully carved, lavish decorations show remarkable skill and are crucial to the shrine's impressive appearance. |
