Ishidoro Japanese Stone Lanterns – A glance into the origins
Japanese Stone Lanterns or Ishidoro were first used in Japan around the 6th century AD. This would have been somewhere in the Asuka Period which saw not only artistic changes but also social and political changes in Japan caused in part by the introduction of Buddhism. The early stone lanterns in Japan were often used in shrines and temples as a kind of votive light. In a way equivalent to the votive candles used by the Church these days. These early sacred lights were said to represent Buddha in the flame that they had burning in them, and in fact, the early stone lanterns were often windowless artifacts. Of course, later the Ishidoro became used for general lighting in gardens, homes and tea houses, but their origin lies firmly in the spiritual pursuits.
The oldest stone lantern still standing in Japan is said to be a lantern at Taima-ji Temple. This lantern is reported to be 1300 years old. Of course most of the older lanterns found in Japan don’t date this far back. The golden era of stone lanterns was between between the 13th and 14th century AD when stone carving was at its prime. There are over a hundred Ishidoro from this period still standing in places like Kyoto and Osaka. The typical shape that we associate with stone lanterns today probably come from the lanterns found lining the way to the Kasuga Shrine situated in Nara; these have the typical slender shafts with the more ornate hollow centre pieces toped with a hexagonal umbrella to protect the light chamber from rain and then above that, a ball shape that represents a gem or jewel. The umbrella section of the lantern is usually made in a wave or convex concave pattern.
Of course, though the traditional shape is still very popular, with time, and artistic expression by more and more stone masons, the lanterns took on new exiting shapes. This is especially true as Ishidoro became more popular and were used more and more as lighting in gardens and on paths. Today we see the artistic expression taken even further, and some lanterns are almost unrecognisable from their ancestors, but still equally elegant. Old original Taima style lanterns tend to be larger and taller than the newer cousins which often have a more squat appearance.
Lanterns have certainly come a long way since their inception and original use, and as you would expect, the art form of creating these lanterns lies not only in what the lantern looks like by itself, but how it interacts with its surroundings. Japanese gardens are well known for their serenity and their carefull, almost obsessive attention to detail. And this attention passes over to the Ishidoro….take for example the Yukimi or snow viewing lantern which has a large overhang (sometimes up to 2 metres in length). This type of Ishidoro has been designed specifically to catch the snow on its large roof, which in winter can add to the mysterious beauty of these objects.
Today the variety of decoration and style of lanterns is only limited by your imagination, but one thing is for sure, a traditional style Japanese Stone Lantern adds a special something to your garden.
