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Hand-carved Ranma Panel • Inami, Japan
$ 16,800
Certificate of Authenticity • Insured worldwide shipping • Delivery approx. 6–8 weeks
A traditional Ranma panel depicting Mount Fuji with a cherry tree in full bloom. Ranma is the art of carving with emptiness — the space between the wood gives the form its shape. Mounted on a wall, the piece becomes a living composition: light passes through, shadows shift with the hours, and the room itself begins to breathe differently.
Secure payment · Bank transfer available for large acquisitions
Questions before acquiring? Contact us directly — we are happy to arrange a personal consultation or a video viewing of the piece.
Ranma is an openwork wood carving form from Japan, traditionally placed above sliding doors to allow light and air to pass between rooms. It is perhaps the most refined way humans have ever invented to shape light and space with wood. Free from its original architectural context, a Ranma becomes a standalone sculpture — to be hung, mounted, or placed in modern luxury housing.
The Ranma itself is carved from a single plank of Japanese Nutmeg-Yew, a wood prized for its beauty and its ability to hold fine detail. The frame is made from Jindai Keyaki — Japanese zelkova that has been buried underground for thousands of years, acquiring its deep, dark colour from the soil. It is one of the rarest woods in the world. Keep the piece away from direct sunlight and extreme humidity. Dust gently with a soft dry brush.
Every piece ships in a custom-built wooden crate with archival-grade padding. Shipping is fully insured. Shipments to Europe include a phytosanitary certificate.
Each sculpture is a unique, handcrafted work of art created to the highest professional standards and shipped directly from Japan.
For customers outside the European Union, all sales are generally considered final due to the unique nature of the artwork.
For customers residing in the European Union, statutory consumer rights apply where required by applicable law. Unless a legal exception applies, consumers may have the right to withdraw from their purchase within 14 days of receiving the artwork without giving any reason.
To exercise the right of withdrawal, the customer must notify Asaya Sculpture in writing within the applicable withdrawal period. The artwork must be returned in its original condition and packaging. Unless otherwise required by law, the customer is responsible for return shipping costs and any applicable customs, import, export, handling, or insurance charges associated with the return.
Custom commissions, personalized works, and artworks created or modified according to a customer's specifications may be exempt from the right of withdrawal where permitted by applicable law.
If your piece arrives damaged in transit, please contact us as soon as possible. All shipments are fully insured, and we will assist you in filing an insurance claim and arranging an appropriate solution.
The Craft
Every Ranma begins as an ink sketch on washi paper and ends as an artwork that will never exist a second time. While carving "Mt. Fuji in Spring", more than 100 different chisels were used.
Sumi ink on washi paper
The piece begins not with wood, but with a sketch with sumi ink on washi paper. Mount Fuji below, a cherry tree in bloom above — the composition is drawn life-size, at the exact scale it will later take shape in the wood.
For a Ranma, the design decides everything: what will become form, and what will become empty space. The sketch is the first and most important contract between the artist and the material.
Hanko — the artist's seal
Once the drawing is finished, it is marked with the artist's hanko — a personal seal pressed in red cinnabar ink. The hanko is a signature and a promise that this design will be carved at the highest level of craftsmanship.
Scroll saw — removing the emptiness
The sketch is transferred to the plank of Japanese Nutmeg-yew, and the work beginns with the scroll saw. This is the moment where Ranma reveals its true nature: before anything is carved, the emptiness is cut out.
What remains is a skeleton of negative space — the essence of the piece, defined before any chisel has touched the wood.
The first chisel strokes
The first chisel cuts begin to define the basic shapes of the carving. Because wood cannot be put back once it has been removed, each cut must be made carefully and according to the design.
These early cuts establish the depth, contours, and direction of the carving. They create the foundation for all later stages of the work.
Arabori — rough carving stage
This stage is called arabori: the rough carving. Hammer and chisel remove large volumes of wood in rhythmic, repeated strikes. Mount Fuji begins to take shape. The cherry branches start to separate from the flat surface of the plank.
Sketch above, carving below
At the end of arabori, the whole composition is present in the wood — most importantly for this stage is to finalize the balance between the different volumes. The sketch is kept next to the carving as a constant reference.
Shiage — final fine carving
The final stage is called shiage: the finishing process. Using extremely sharp finishing chisels, every detail of the carving is refined — from the petals of each blossom and the texture of the bark to the final contours of the branches and the surface of Mt. Fuji. At this stage, the forms are fully defined and the character of the piece emerges.
Unlike many Western woodworking traditions, no sandpaper is used. The final surface is created entirely with finely sharpened chisels, leaving crisp cuts that reveal the natural structure of the wood. In Japan, the beauty of wood itself is highly valued, which is why no oil, varnish, or other surface finish is applied.
Temporary support beams
One of the defining qualities of a Ranma is its sense of lightness. Branches and blossoms appear to float in space, giveing the carving its distinctive character.
To preserve this fine structure during carving, wooden support beams are left in place throughout the shiage stage. They hold fragile elements securely while the details are refined and are only removed once the carving is complete.
Releasing the blossoms
Once the shiage stage has been completed, the support beams have done their work. Now they are cut away with a fine handsaw — a patient, careful act, because the slightest slip now would destroy the carving.
This is the moment the Ranma truly becomes itself: the scaffolding falls away, and what is left is the Ranma in its essence.
Final touches
Where the support beams used to be, small chisels are used to clean remaining marks. Because now the strucutral support of the beams is missing, the carving process has to be done with the highest level of attention and sensitivity.
When these final cuts are finished, the Ranma is complete.
Jindai Keyaki — buried for millennia
Once the carving is finished, a master carpenter prepares the frame. The wood chosen is Jindai Keyaki: Japanese zelkova that lay buried underground for thousands of years. The minerals in the soil slowly darkened it to a deep, rich tone — a colour no living tree can produce.
It is one of the rarest woods in Japan. Its dark colour provides a subtle contrast to the carving, allowing the details of the Ranma to stand out while complementing the natural beauty of the wood.
Final Ranma with frame made by master carpenter
With the carving complete and the Jindai Keyaki frame fitted by a master carpenter, the Ranma reaches its final form. The light openwork carving and the dark frame work together as a single piece.
Now, the finished Ranma is ready to leave the workshop and begin its next chapter in a new home.
Available for Acquisition
Hand-carved Ranma Panel • Inami, Japan
$ 16,800
A unique Ranma panel carved from a single plank of Japanese Nutmeg-Yew and framed in rare Jindai Keyaki. Created in Inami, Japan using traditional carving techniques passed down through generations.
Secure payment · Bank transfer available for large acquisitions
Questions before acquiring? Contact us directly — we are happy to arrange a personal consultation or a video viewing of the piece.