TERRA-COTTA ROOFING-TILES. 



19 



It may be observed as a curious feature that in Japan 

 the pan tile laps to the left as seen from the ground, while 

 in all other countries, with rare exceptions, it laps to the 

 right. (Here is added another of the curious instances of re- 

 versal which some writ- 

 ers seem to be so fond 

 of connoting.) The tem- 

 ples and castles in Japan 

 are usually covered 

 with the normal tile. 

 When the roof is cov- 

 ered with metal, as is often the case, rounded ribs are in- 

 troduced to carry out the appearance of the ridges made 

 by the imbrices, even to the circular discs and turned mar- 

 gins at the eaves. In the province of Iwami a simple pan 

 tile is made having a glazed surface. A glazed ridge-tile 



FIG. 26. 



FIG. 27. 



is also made in this province, angular in section, so as to 

 rest like a saddle on the roof (fig. 27A). 



Two hundred years ago a pan tile, brown glazed, was 

 made in the province of Bizen. A temple atUyeno in 

 Tokio, burned at the time of the Revolution in 1868, was 

 covered with these tiles (fig. 

 28). The Tokioltile is made 

 of a dark gray clay, smooth , 

 and presenting a nearly 

 black surface ; it is quite 

 thick though light. 



I know of no roofing-tile FIG . 2 8. 



that approaches the Japanese tile in perfection of finish : 

 they are also much higher priced than any other tile known 



