Dedicated artists are keeping Japan’s ancient craft of temari alive

At the center of the circle is Eiko Araki, a master of the Sanuki Kagari Temari, a Japanese traditional craft passed down for more than 1,000 years on the southwestern island of Shikoku. Each ball, or “temari,” is a work of art, with colorful geometric patterns carrying poetic names like “firefly flowers” and “layered stars.” A temari ball takes weeks or months to finish. Some cost hundreds of dollars (tens of thousands of yen), although others are much cheaper. These kaleidoscopic balls aren’t for throwing or kicking around. They’re destined to be heirlooms, carrying prayers for health and goodness. They might be treasured like a painting or piece of sculpture in a Western home. The concept behind temari is an elegant otherworldliness, an impractical beauty that is also very labor-intensive to create. “Out of nothing, something this beautiful is born, bringing joy,” says Araki. “I want it to be remembered there are beautiful things in this world that can only be made by hand.” The region where temari originated was good for growing cotton, warm with little rainfall, and the spherical creations continue to be made out of the humble material. These days, temari is getting some new recognition, among Japanese and foreigners as well. Caroline Kennedy took lessons in ball-making when she was United States Ambassador to Japan a decade ago. Araki has come up with some newer designs that feel both modern and historical. She is trying to make the balls more accessible to everyday life—for instance, as Christmas tree ornaments. A strap with a dangling miniature ball, though quite hard to make because of its size, is affordable at about 1,500 yen ($10) each. Today, only several dozen people, all women, can make the temari balls to traditional standards. “The most challenging aspect is nurturing successors. It typically takes over 10 years to train them, so you need people who are willing to continue the craft for a very long time,” Araki said. “When people start to feel joy along with the hardship that comes with making temari, they tend to keep going.” This article was provided by The Associated Press.