Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/552

 452 CHINESE ARCHITECTURE. BOOK IX. concave form of roof, as generally referred to by writers on the subject as a reminiscence of the tent of the Tartars, who are supposed to have introduced it. The authors of this theory, however, forgot that the Chinese have been longer out of tents, and know less of them, than any other people now on the face of the globe. The Tartar conquest, like our Norman one, has long been a fusion rather than a subjection, and does not seem to have produced any visible effect on the manners or customs of the original inhabitants of China. It may also be observed that the typical form of the roof of a Tartar tent was and is domical, like those represented in the Assyrian sculptures, and seldom, if ever, constructed with a hollow curve ; so that the argument tells the other way. Be this as it may, the form of roof in question arose from a constructive exigence, which others would do well to i.mitate. In a country like China, where very heavy rains fall at one sea- son of the year, tiled roofs, such as they almost universally use, require a high pitch to carry off the water ; but the glar- ing sunshine of another season ren- ders shade to walls and windows abso- 489. Diagram of Chinese Construction. lutely necessary. If (as on the left of the diagram No. 489) the slope of the roof is continued so far out as to be effective for the last purpose, the upper windows are too much darkened, and it is impossible to see out of them. To remedy this defect, the Chinese carry out their eaves almost horizontally from the face of the walls, where a leak becomes of slight importance ; and then, to break the awkward angle caused by the meeting of these two slopes, they ease it off with a hollow curve which answers most effectually the double purpose of the roof. These projecting eaves have the further advantage of protecting the walls which constructed in timber only would decay rapidly if frequently deluged with rain. The protection given to the front and back walls of the house was equally required for the sides, so that the projecting eaves are carried round these ; this, how- ever, still left exposed the gable ends, in order to protect which a small pent roof of slight projection was built in under the gable. The only part of such a roof that admitted of decora-