noun
ryūsha; spherical part of a pagoda finial
Architectural term for the spherical component between the hōju (sacred jewel) and suien (water flame) on a pagoda finial. Domain-specific; rarely encountered outside specialist contexts.
五重塔の相輪には、宝珠と水煙の間に竜舎がある。
On the finial of a five-story pagoda, there is a ryūsha between the hōju and the suien.
The suien is the flame-shaped part below the ryūsha on a pagoda finial.
Standard kanji spelling for this architectural term.
Alternate kanji spelling; 車 may be a phonetic substitute or variant.
The term 竜舎 (ryūsha) is a specialized architectural term. The kanji 竜 means 'dragon' and 舎 means 'house' or 'shelter', but the exact derivation of the term is uncertain; it may refer to a dragon's abode or a decorative motif.