dǒukǒutiào 枓口跳

Note

Doukoutiao (枓口跳 or 斗口跳), literally meaning "bearing-block mouth jump," (Kroll 2016) is a type of column-top bracket set (dougong 枓栱) used on the exterior of a building. In doukoutiao bracket sets, a nidaogong 泥道栱 set into a cap-block is joined across a beam projecting perpendicular to the building plane, the end of which is shaped like a huagong and is called a "huagongtou 華栱頭." A small cap block atop the protruding end of the huagongtou supports the squared eaves beam (liaoyanfang 撩簷枋), while the nidaogong supports the squared pillar-top beam (zhutoufang 柱頭枋). According to Yingzao Fashi《營造法式》(1103), doukoutiao 枓口跳 is not classified as puzuo 鋪作 (Li 2009 4.8b; 4.9a).

Although the term “doukou” refers to any opening in a bearing-block (dou 枓), in this term it refers to the opening of ludou 櫨枓 in the direction of outward extension of the huagong. The term “tiao 跳” refers to the “jump,” or projection from the wall plane, of the head of the modified beam (huagongtou).

The term "doukoutiao" is only found in Yingzao Fashi. Some scholars believe that this simple form was derived from the “yidou ersheng一枓貳升” dougong 枓栱 of the Han Dynasty (Liu 1987, 434), which is the simplest bracket set extending from the wall plane (Pan and He 2005, 84).

The surviving example that is most consistent with Yingzao Fashi can be found in pillar-top bracket sets of the main hall of Tiantai Hermitage 天臺庵 in Pingshun, Shanxi (933).4

枓口跳是一種於柱頭上的外簷枓栱，現今寫作作斗口跳。梁栿的前端與泥道栱在櫨枓枓口内十字搭交，並作華栱頭從櫨枓枓口伸出，承托撩簷枋。泥道栱承托柱头枋。根據《營造法式》枓口跳不稱爲鋪作（李 2009，4.8b；4.9a）。

“枓口”是枓的開口，此處特指櫨枓順跳方向的開口。“跳”是指枓栱的出跳，這裏便是指華栱頭的出跳。

枓口跳作爲建築術語，覲見於《營造法式》。現存枓口跳實物最符合《營造法式》記載者，可見平順天臺庵正殿（933山西平顺）柱頭枓栱。5

Related concepts

huāgǒng 華栱

Broad Match: building frame