Monumental plaster and wood model of a pagoda

Japan, Edo period, 1603 – 1868

Height: 45 inches, 114 cm

Width: 22 1/4 inches, 56.5 cm

A very large plaster and wood model of a pagoda of typical form, combining circles and squares. The pagoda sits on an elevated, fenced terrace and has four balustraded flights of stairs leading up to four openings, each fitted with two doors and flanked by shuttered windows with peaked tops. The first hipped roof leads to a circular, fenced walkway, which in turn leads to a second hipped roof, crowned by a tall, tiered peak, which terminates in a triangular flame symbol. The roofs each have four staggered and raised corner sections.