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Menuki Omote and Ura


adventurer_900

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Hi guys, I have a couple of questions on etiquette and omote / ura. I know that with animal menuki, the animal runs towards the kissaki and with plants the roots are planted at the fuchi and grow towards the kashira. The question is: when in storage in a box or on display, do menuki face towards each other or away from each other. Is the omote menuki on the left or the right? With plants/flowers, how can you tell which is the omote and which the ura menuki? Is the larger one the omote? In my photograph, the menuki with the silver coloured centre flower (on the right) is 0.79mm smaller than the other. In the box they are growing away from each other, as though a fuchi was in the middle. Thank you for your help.

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NCJSC had a recent newsletter all about history and practices regarding menuki. I’m away from the casa for a week but can scan and pm you a copy when I get back. Maybe you can pm Thomas Helm San as he is on the NMB and will have the write up easier at hand. I think a few other are here too I’ve seen Junichi San here a while ago, but I don’t know his last name. The write up seemed quite comprehensive and it may be a good idea to arrange it being saved electronically here if there is no issues with that.

 

Something I do recall is that if the menuki are mounted the wrong way they have a funny name for this (something like ‘out of control menuki’ or something), almost like it happened all the time they get mounted out of proper form.

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If menuki are the wrong way  it’s called “nige-menuki” (a menuki that runs away). Obviously not a good omen for a samurai. With animals it would seem to be pretty straight forward. It is easy to tell the top and bottom. On their feet facing the kissaki, they can only go one way. With plants though, as in my photograph, I cannot tell which should be the top or bottom. Also when in a paulownia box is the omote menuki on the left or right?

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This thread is quite old. Please consider starting a new thread rather than reviving this one, unless your post is really relevant and adds to the topic..

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