Temari (てまり)is Japanese and a combination of two words “te” meaning hand and “mari” meaning ball. It is a traditional thread ball and it was used to be a girl’s toy in Japan for long time ago.

  At first, the strings were just wound on a cotton core. And it was made of elasticity core and it was rolled a beautiful colored thread with geometrical design around 16th century.  These ball were bounced, and girls dribbled at the New Year from Edo (1603 ~ 1867) through Meiji (1868 ~ 1912) period.

  Rubber had become cheap and very high bouncy in the middle of the Meiji period, so rubber ball was more often played than Temari.

  Now, Temari have become Japanese Traditional art.  The ball wrapped and stitched with colorful threads, often in beautiful patterns such as a chrysanthemum.  It is presented as a gift of births, graduations, weddings and housewarming parties.