Hand ball

手毬 temari

Hand ball

Embroidered thread balls given to girls at New Year; their round shape wishes for a well-rounded, peaceful life.

Ball games from China (7th century); thread-wrapped temari developed in the Edo period

The name likely comes from kemari, the kick-ball game brought from China and played at the Heian court. Early temari were soft balls of silk scraps, played indoors by hand. In the Edo period cheaper cotton thread allowed intricate wrapped patterns, and temari became a home craft for mothers and then an art object.

Given to children at New Year as a wish for happiness, and temari-patterned kimono are given to brides; regional crafts such as Sanuki kagari temari (Kagawa) continue.

Technique catalog · draft for review

Every way to wrap, carry and wear a furoshiki.

The furoshiki.com archive, sliced into annotated steps with plain directions, plus techniques found in research.