How to draw TEMARI

Hi everyone!

Welcome to our last tangle for the month of November 2020.

The sweet Temari is another easy tangle from Japanese CZT Hiromi Fukuoka and it’s her third on the site.

Hiromi explains her inspiration for Temari,

I saw Japanese crafts and came up with an idea.

Temari is one of the oldest playground equipment in Japan. The pattern of the hand ball is very nice, reminiscent of a Zentangle.

The “TEMARI” pattern looks like a flower or butterfly.

I think both children and adults can draw easily.

Three Temari balls with different decorations – By Conveyor belt sushi – originally posted to Flickr as Japanese folk art; Temari, CC BY 2.0

I was familiar with the term temari but didn’t really know anything about it. It’s a pretty fascinating rabbit hole! This Google search produces many, many beautiful examples of temari balls.

Not only is this an ancient craft but it has modern and timely meaning too, as Wikipedia explains:

Temari balls are a folk art form and Japanese craft, originating in China and introduced to Japan around the 7th century A.D.

“Temari” means “hand ball” in Japanese. Balls made from embroidery may be used in handball games and other such similar games (like, i.e., haki sack). An accessory similar in appearance (and constructed with similar techniques and materials), but with the addition of a hand-strap (made with either satin cord or ribbon) and a tassel, can serve as an accessory for a kimono; a kimono bag.

Historically, temari were constructed from the remnants of old kimono. Pieces of silk fabric would be wadded up to form a ball, and then the wad would be wrapped with strips of fabric.
As time passed, traditional temari became an art, with the functional stitching becoming more decorative and detailed, until the balls displayed intricate embroidery. With the introduction of rubber to Japan, the balls went from toys to art objects, although mothers still make them for their children. Temari became an art and craft of the Japanese upper class and aristocracy, and noble women competed in creating increasingly beautiful and intricate objects, some even altered so-as to double as handbags (like a kinchaku or a kimono bag).

Temari are highly valued and cherished gifts, symbolizing deep friendship and loyalty. Also, the brilliant colors and threads used are symbolic of wishing the recipient a brilliant and happy life. Traditionally, becoming a craftsman in Japan was a tedious process. Becoming a temari artist in Japan today requires specific training, and one must be tested on one’s skills and technique before being acknowledged as a crafter of temari.

Traditionally, temari were often given to children from their parents on New Year’s Day. Inside the tightly wrapped layers of each ball, the mother would have placed a small piece of paper with a goodwill wish for her child. The child would never be told what wish their mother had made while making the ball.

From ancient folk art to modern-day tangle …

Hiromi illustrates the step-by-step instructions for drawing Temari below where she includes a simple variation and a delicate Zentangle® tile featuring Temari with the Zentangle-originals Rixty, Icanthis, Printemps and Pokeleaf.

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Check out the tag hiromif for more of Hiromi’s tangles on TanglePatterns.com.

If you’re interested in learning the craft of making temari balls there are many instruction books available. Check your local library for these titles:

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