dīngtóugǒng
- Scope note
- The term dingtougong 丁頭栱, literally meaning T-shaped (half) bracket arm, is only found in the Yingzao fashi (1103). In this text, dingtougong is categorized as a type of huagong 華栱 (lit. blossoming bracket arm) measuring half the length of a standard huagong, which is inserted into a pillar or a bracket cluster. If it is inserted into a corner of the interior of a building, it can be called xiaxugong 蝦須栱 (lit. “shrimp antenna bracket arm” YZFS 4.3a). As a type of huagong, dingtougong functions as a corbel, projecting outward to support the components above it (Xu and Guo 1984, 114).
- Date of creation: 22-Dec-2025
Accepted term: 22-Dec-2025