chōkoku ranma 彫刻欄間

Lit. carved transom. A decorative frieze consisting of carved panels fixed above the head of a door. Transom designs include landscapes, plants, birds animals, and human figures and are usually carved from zelkova wood keyaki 欅, mulberry kuwa 桑, or judas katsura 桂. The transom *ranma 欄間 was first used in Heian period Buddhist architecture, and openwork decoration *sukashibori 透彫, was particularly popular in Zen-style *zenshūyō 禅宗様 Buddhist halls. In the Nanbokuchō period, transoms with arabesque designs *karakusa moyō 唐草模様, carved in low relief were used in Shinto halls. During the Momoyama and Edo periods, painted carving in high relief was used on transoms in Buddhist and Shinto architecture, and in formal reception rooms *shoin 書院.