Temari (toy)

As time passed, traditional temari became an art, with the functional stitching becoming more decorative and detailed, until the balls displayed intricate embroidery.

Temari became an art and craft of the Japanese upper class and aristocracy, and noble women competed in creating increasingly beautiful and intricate objects,[2] some even altered so as to double as handbags (like a kinchaku or a kimono bag).

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.

[citation needed] Alternately, some balls contained "noisemakers" consisting of rice grains or bells to add to the play value.

[3] All temari are made according to some specific method of construction that involves dividing the mari into a number of sections through the use of temporarily placed pins and permanently placed threads.