http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html What are ranma? Ranma (also spelled Rama or Ramma) transom were used in Japanese architecture, because the typical room dividing fusuma or shoji doors are under six feet in height, there is space in between the top of the sliding door and ceiling. Ranma, (literally: space for ran, a type of wood) or transom panels, are used to artistically fill those spaces. They also serve the practical purpose of allowing ventilation and light into the interior of a house or temple. Ranma can be carved three dimensional pictorial scenes, geometric slatted wood designs, or natural wood slices of trees. Generally, the more intricately carved and three dimensional, the older the ranma transom. Ranma transom can have black lacquered wood frames or a natural finish. http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#0 b10d2304-9f2d-4c3a-9f89-6177119ac6c4 http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Japan%20temple%20ranma%20ram%20ramma.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Japan%20temple%20ranma%20ram%20ramma.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Japan temple ranma above an alcove</p></div></div> http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#1 7df8eb49-d7c4-48b8-baf1-2e92598b52fd http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/00890033.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/00890033.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Three ranma above an altar in a Japanese Buddhist temple</p></div></div> http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#2 a839a646-9339-4c78-a78b-6ab372b027b3 http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Ranma%20japan%20buddhist%20altar%20rama.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Ranma%20japan%20buddhist%20altar%20rama.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Buddhist altar in Japan with ranma above</p></div></div> http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#3 40eea4ba-07a0-40b3-a3dd-d900d07658bb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Japanese%20ranma%20rama%20ramma%20shoji.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Japanese%20ranma%20rama%20ramma%20shoji.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Japanese ranma placed above sliding shoji screens </p></div></div> http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#4 3360d162-4bbd-4582-8f89-58d1dd44cb98 http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Tokonoka.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Tokonoka.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Japanese Tokonoma alcove with ranma above</p></div></div> http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels.html#5 fb550227-9a5c-438b-a8c4-7683a85a72ba http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Kyoto.jpg?derivative=thumb http://www.tableasia.com/Table_Asia_Gallery/Historical_Use_of_Japanese_Ranma_Transom_Panels_files/Media/Kyoto.jpg?derivative=micro <div style="padding: 0px; " class="image_cluster_layout_style_default_External_163_48"><div class="image_cluster_layout_style_default"><p style="padding-bottom: 0pt; padding-top: 0pt; " class="paragraph_style_3">Traditional Kyoto restaurant on temple grounds</p></div></div>