Temari Inclusion Information

        It has been requested that there be basic information available that may be used for inclusion when temari are given as gifts, etc... the following information may be used by you as an individual to provide historical and artistic information about temari to those around you. It may be downloaded, copied and used freely in print by individuals or non-profit groups (as in enclosures for gifts, presentations, hangtags, etc) but it may not be sold, used for profit, or re-published. You may use the following content of this page without further permissions or copyright restrictions (but you may not claim ownership with copyright). Please use this information rather than copying from other sources. While you are not required to include the citation to temarikai.com it would be appreciated.

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    Temari balls are an art form that originated in Japan (or possibly China) five or six hundred years ago. The balls were originally made by mothers and grandmothers as toys for the children to play with. The balls were constructed from the remnants of old kimonos. Fabric scraps would be wadded into a ball, then the wad wrapped with strips of fabric. The silk threads would have been removed and saved and used to first wind around the ball, then to stitch the ball firmly to hold it together. In rural areas the materials were more rustic.

    As time moved on the stitching became more and more decorative until the balls became very intricate. They transcended from play toys to art objects- once rubber was introduced to Japan the purpose of temari as toys faded. Ladies continued to enjoy making them however and Temari balls became an art and craft of the Japanese aristocracy; they now are a highly valued and cherished gift showing friendship and bestowing good wishes. To become a Temari artist in Japan required specific and long training. One is tested on skills before being called a Temari artisan.

    The designs can be geometric or freely embroidered. Hundreds if not thousands of designs exist that may be reproduced, or patterns may be original to the stitcher. Many traditional themes are inspired by nature in keeping with Japanese tradition. The inner core of the ball can be anything round, but to be a temari it must be wound with thread as the final layer. The ball is then divided into sections (traditionally this was done without a ruler, using relational geometry and paper strips) and marked with decorative thread . After the ball is prepared and marked designs are embroidered with a variety of threads. Some designs are formed by wrapping rather than stitching, or a combination of both. Temari varied according to the artist and the area of Japan where they were created.

    Temari may be displayed singly, but more often are collected and displayed in groups. A gift of a temari is one of special meaning, wishing good luck and long life. There are less than a dozen books in the English language available, though about 40 exist in Japanese. A Temari museum and association still lives on in Tokyo although temari is a fading art now in Japan. More information can be found at www.temarikai.com.

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