Boussole

1893 · 163107 — No place of publication.: 天眞堂. Tenshindō. Meiji 26 1893. A beautifully illustrated colour manuscript Meiji period "house geomancy" 家相 plan folded scale 1:50. On heavy good quality Japanese paper. Pop-up walls gate and some buildings turnable geomantic compass. Some creasing light soiling or browning but generally very good. 179 x 95cm. House divination originated in ancient China and became popular in Japan from the 19th century on. The idea of the house divination remains popular in Japan to this day. <br> <br>This beautiful sheet gives a detailed floor plan of a traditional Japanese house designed for a person of high status. This house was possibly on the grounds of Tenshindō in Yamanashi near Tokyoas Tenshindō is mentioned in the text. The 24 red lines which represent 24 hexagrams diverge from the central movable paper geomantic compass indicating 24 directions. The geomantic compass its range taking in the entire plan enables the planner to be certain that rooms and objects will be placed in such a way as to benefit the residents. By the same token the compass serves to make sure that planning does not work to the detriment of the residents. . [天眞堂]. [Tenshindō] unknown