RANMA <PHOTO 19.20.21>

Ranma, Transoms in English, are used in the approximately 1-2 foot space
between the ceiling and the horizontal lintel beam along the wall. They have
the very practical function of admitting light and controlling ventilation
when the fusuma or shoji that run below the lintel are closed. Ranma make
evident all the versatility and skill of the Japanese craftsman; they can be
highly decorative and fanciful as well as plain and geometric.




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