One of the finest of the ancient Japanese art of stitching and wrapping threads on to the surface of a ball to create brilliantly-colored embroidered shapes.
Temari is traditionally given as a gift. From humble beginnings as simple toy balls for children's play, Temari create a magnetic effect on viewers today.
The history of the temari ball goes back to the eighth century. At that time a game called kemari was brought to Japan from China.
It was a kicking game that became popular with nobles of the Imperial Court. Eventually the game of kemari (meaning kicking ball) became temari (meaning hand ball). By the fourteenth to sixteenth centuries female servants of the Samurai class were competing to see who could make the most beautiful balls for their mistresses. The balls became treasured toys of the young girls.
During the nineteenth century when materials became more available to the lower classes this art form became wide spread. Worn out silk kimono threads and left over bits and pieces of yarn were put to good use embroidering the surfaces of these balls.
Traditional patterns have developed over time and are passed down from one generation to the next. Most of the patterns are geometric and many have symbolic meaning in Japan. The craft lost popularity when rubber balls were introduced, but there has been renewed interest in the last 20 years.
The patterns are geometric and they are usually symmetric, with may of the design elements being based upon nature. The patterns are more like kaleidoscope pattern. Most temari balls average three to five inches in diameter. Collecting temari balls is still a hobby and they are treasured.
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