Nara Period Tiled Roof, 710-794CE

This is a museum-grade Nara Period (710-794 AD) Himo Gawara, a type of roof tile. The himo, or cloth impression, is a pattern created by using hemp cloth during the tile-making process. It is commonly found in tiles from the Asuka, Nara, and Heian periods. This particular piece was unearthed in Tsuruta-cho, Gifu City.