Left Tomoe

The left and right of the tomoe are not determined by the direction of the swirl, but by a rational name created from the diagram. This is something that a professional designer would understand immediately, but a teacher who has never created a diagram would be distracted by the direction of the swirl. However, even a professional designer may be momentarily confused about the left and right of the tomoe. In such cases, they recall a useful oral tradition... First, they clench their left palm and look at their wrist. The shape is that of a left tomoe. If they clench their right palm, the shape of a right tomoe appears instantly. (from 'The Story of Family Crests' by Azuma Tsuma'o, p.61). This design is a 'ji-nuki' (cut-out) specification. 'Surikomi' is a technique... where a diagram is created, a tomoe is cut out to make a stencil... the stencil is placed on the fabric, and paint is applied with a brush (refer to 'The Magic of Manji, the Curse of Tomoe' by Azuma Tsuma'o, p.146).