This round eaves tile would have been set between arc-shaped concave eaves tiles, lining the edges of a grand hall’s roof. This particular tile has a buddha enshrined within a Treasure Stupa. Important features of medieval Japanese temple architecture are referenced in its simplified design: note the decorative “treasure chains” suspended from the top of the finial to the edges of the roof and the “wind bells” hanging below the eaves. The sectarian affiliation and function of the hall that this tile once adorned is suggested by the selection of the particular shape of its Treasure Stupa, a form of great importance in esoteric Buddhism.
 
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