Left Tomoe Pet Tag

The left and right of the tomoe crest are not determined by the direction of the swirl, but by a rational name created from the diagram. This is something that a top painter would know immediately, but a teacher who has never diagrammed a crest would only be concerned with the direction of the swirl. However, even a top painter can get confused about the left and right of the tomoe in a pinch. In such cases, the top painter recalls a clever oral tradition... First, clench your left palm and look at your wrist. The shape is that of a left tomoe. If you clench your right palm, the shape of a right tomoe will immediately appear (from 'The Story of Family Crests' by Awazaka Tsumio, 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 (reference: 'The Magic of Manji, The Curse of Tomoe' by Awazaka Tsumio, p.146).