Ranmas

We have been looking for cool ranmas while we've been in Japan to take back to the States with us. Ranmas are carvings that are built into Japanese homes above shoji doors (there is a shoji door in this picture to the left behind the ranma) to allow airflow from one room to another. There are various forms. Some are simplistic stick patterns and some are ornate carvings. They are usually one half inch thick. We saw some on Monday that were three inches thick in a Japanese antique store. In the back of the store, I found two that had even more relief. The 3D effect in them is really impressive. It doesn't really come across in the pictures, but it reminds me of a museum piece. I look forward to incorporating them into the eventual dream home.