An (Shinto)

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Hakkyaku an
Hakkyaku an

An an (?) is a small table or platform used during Shinto ceremonies to bear offerings. It may have four, eight or sixteen legs; the eight-legged variety, called hassoku an or hakkyaku an (八足案, 八脚案? lit. "eight-legged an"), is the most common.

[edit] References

  • "An". Encyclopedia of Shinto. (2006). Tokyo, Japan: Institute of Japanese Culture and Classics, Kokugakuin University. Retrieved on 2007-08-07. 
  • Picken, Stuart (1994). Essentials of Shinto: An Analytical Guide to Principal Teachings. Greenwood Publishing Group, 369. ISBN 0313264317.