n.
A niche or an alcove in a Japanese home for displaying a flower arrangement, kakemono, or other piece of art.
[Japanese : toko, alcove + no, of + ma, room.]
tokonoma
Dictionary:
to·ko·no·ma (tō'kə-nō'mə) 
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n.
A niche or an alcove in a Japanese home for displaying a flower arrangement, kakemono, or other piece of art.
| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: tokonoma |
For more information on tokonoma, visit Britannica.com.
| Architecture: tokonoma |
In the Japanese house, an alcove, raised above the floor, for displaying a hanging scroll and a flower arrangement.
| Word Tutor: tokonoma |
IN BRIEF: n. - A niche in the living room of a Japanese house in which a picture or writing on silk or paper is hung
Tutor's tip: This word was used in the 2006 Scripps National Spelling Bee finals.
| Wikipedia: Tokonoma |
Tokonoma (床の間), also referred to simply as toko, is a Japanese term generally referring to a built-in recessed space in a Japanese style reception room, in which items for artistic appreciation are displayed. In English, tokonoma is usually called alcove. The items usually displayed in a tokonoma are calligraphic and/or pictorial scrolls and an arrangement of flowers. Bonsai and okimono are also often displayed there. The tokonoma and its contents are essential elements of traditional Japanese interior decoration. The word 'toko' literally means "floor" or "bed"; 'ma' means "space" or "room."
When seating guests in a Japanese-style room, the correct etiquette is to seat the most important guest with his or her back facing the tokonoma. This is because of modesty; the host should not be seen to show off the contents of the tokonoma to the guest, and thus it is necessary not to point the guest towards the tokonoma.
Stepping up inside it is strictly forbidden.
The pillar on one side of the tokonoma is usually made of a raw trunk of wood.
American architect Frank Lloyd Wright was influenced by Japanese architecture. He translated the meaning of the tokonoma into its western counterpart: the fireplace. This gesture became more of a ceremonial core in his architecture.
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History
Tokonoma first appeared in the late Muromachi period (14th-16th century). In the shoin style architecture of this period, it was called oshiita (押板）and basically was a wall space where scrolls would be hung and a raised dais in front of this would be for setting an incense burner, vase for flowers, and candle holder.[1]
References
- ^ Genshoku Chadō Daijiten Japanese encyclopedia of chanoyu, entry for toko.
See also
Further reading
- "Theorizing about the Origins of the Tokonoma," in Chanoyu Quarterly no. 86 (1997).
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 | Japanese architecture (architecture, Japan) |
| Okimono |
| Sukiya (style) |
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 | Dictionary. The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. Britannica Concise Encyclopedia. © 2006 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Architecture. McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Read more |
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| Word Tutor. Copyright © 2004-present by eSpindle Learning, a 501(c) nonprofit organization. All rights reserved. eSpindle provides personalized spelling and vocabulary tutoring online; free trial. Read more |
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| Wikipedia. This article is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article "Tokonoma". Read more |
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