nakakugi 中釘

Also *hanakugi 花釘, tokonakakugi 床中釘 (see *orekugi 折釘). A nail hammered into the center of the back wall of an alcove *tokonoma 床の間, on which to hang a flower vase or a scroll in a tea ceremony room. The nail is bent in such a fashion that when it is driven into the wall the back of the scroll is not damaged. Most nakakugi are placed about 1 m above the surface of the straw mat *tatami 畳, but this distance varies widely, usually from 90 cm to 150 cm, depending on the height of the ceiling.