An Ancient Artform
Temari originated in China in the eighth century. In the thirteenth century, the Japanese adopted the craft. “Te” means hand, and “mari” means ball so the term literally means “embroidering the surface of a ball.”
At first only the female servants of ladies in the Samuri class made temari, embroidering designs with silk thread on balled-up scraps of silk from old kimonos. By the nineteenth century, when cotton became accessible, the craft spread and women made temari for their daughters who used them as toys. The girls would toss the balls and sing nursery rhyme-like songs.
Mothers taught the craft to their daughters. In southern Japan, temari were used as charms and the designs had symbolic meaning. Mothers would start embroidering a ball at the end of the year and place it under her daughter’s pillow on New Year’s Eve. The gift was meant to bring the recipient good fortune.
(Sources: Mary Wood, The Craft of Temari; http://www.temarikai.com)
Scroll down to bottom of page to learn how Temari are made:
How temari are made
Each temari I make is an exploration of color and design.
I start by wrapping a 2 1/2- or 3-inch Styrofoam ball with yarn. Over the yarn, I wrap matching sewing thread. With metallic thread, I divide the ball into sections. Then, I stitch patterns with names like “Kiku” or chrysanthemum, “Rose Garden,” “Wishing Papers” and “Spinning Top,” choosing complementary colors to accentuate the complexity of the designs.
Many temari designs are embroidered around two centers. More intricate designs are embroidered on temari that are divided into four, six, eight or ten centers. A simple temari created around two centers takes about four hours to complete. More elaborate designs require twice that amount of time.
These temari are available for sale. Prices range from $25 to $50. Please e-mail me if you are interested in purchasing one.