Japan has always been famous for various exotic types of handicrafts. Among them, origami is the most widespread throughout the world; the technique of weaving cords (kumihimo), fabric flowers (kanzashi) and some other types of art also gained wide popularity. But what is temari and what is it eaten with?
Temari (translated from Japanese as "handball") is an ancient Japanese art of embroidering balls. The history of this technique goes back several centuries and begins in China. In the 8th century, the game of kemari ("foot ball") came from China to Japan, over time, changes took place in it, as a result of which the game of temari ("hand ball") appeared, which girls from noble Japanese families preferred to play. Accordingly, it became possible to decorate balls with silk embroidery, thanks to which the game was reborn into art.
Now the art of temari is quite widespread not only in Japan, but all over the world. On the shelves of Japanese souvenir shops, you can find both ordinary temari balls with a diameter of 5-12 centimeters in diameter, as well as decorations using this technique.
The temari device is quite simple - the basis for the ball used to be an old kimono cut into strips, but now any fabric pulled into a ball with ordinary bobbin threads will do. For the base, you can also use special foam balls that can be bought in creative stores, large wooden beads and, however, any material that has the shape of a ball or is able to acquire it, but do not forget to also wrap the base with cotton threads. Sometimes bells or small balls are placed inside so that the temari ball also rings.
Unlike the base itself, it is much more difficult to embroider a pattern on a ball. First you need to mark the base with paper tapes and pins, and then you can start working. Traditional embroidery patterns are geometric, but nobody canceled the flight of imagination. Another common temari pattern is the kiku, or chrysanthemum, which is considered the symbol of the sun in Japanese culture. Its popularity in temari patterns is explained not only by its symbolic meaning, but also by the simplicity of embroidery.
Temari balloons symbolize friendship and devotion, and also serve as a symbol of wealth, success and happiness, so it will be a great gift for loved ones. Despite the fact that the temari technique is not very simple, the result exceeds all expectations, so the number of fans of this Japanese art in the world is constantly growing. Who knows, maybe you will join their ranks?
