A Temari is a Temari

手まりについてのいろいろな考え

Given the interest I have developed in Temari and in trying to answer some of the questions I get, I have been doing some digging into the hows and whys of Temari in the more philosophical and historical sense. By study of the now-many books I have been fortunate enough to collect, conversation with two persons in Japan that supply the Temari Masters and makers there, conversations with Japanese people here in the States, and some good old math and physics research, I offer the following thoughts:

どれが本当の手まり? - in other words, when is a needleworked or fiberworked ball a Temari? From the information I have been able to discern myself and then confirm with some Japanese contacts, a Temari meets two characteristics: first, it is worked on a thread-wrapped base. What comprises the base is at this point in time somewhat optional - there is a difference between being traditional and historically accurate. Historically accurate maris will use cotton or silk torn into strips and tightly wound, sometimes so tightly that the ball actually did bounce - and embroidered in traditional nature-inspired designs using silk. Modern Temari takes advantage of preformed mari bases, and some more modern fibers to wrap and embroider with, thus not being particularly historically accurate, but the manner in which these modern supplies are used is still very much traditional.
        Second, that the base, the thread wound mari, is then geometrically divided using the traditional methods that have persisted down through time, and the resultant design and decoration worked using that division. The type of embroidery (while there are definitely some hallmark techniques and patterns) is somewhat open, as well as including fabric appliqué, ribbons and beads for example, is not as dictated as the pattern itself being worked off and/or around the geometrical divisions, be it simple vertical ones in few or many numbers, a complex or double complex 8, complex 10, complex 6, complex 12, or the many multiple pole divisions that can be worked off of a C10 - and there are also other obscure divisions - the ball is divided in this manner and then worked.
        A Temari is not judged by how elaborate or involved it is... rather the opposite. The Japanese are not prone to excessiveness or ostentaciosness - simplicity is much more honored. Rather, the precision of the ball is more important - the precision of the stitching itself, and the division - how well the divisions and pattern travels around the ball. Metallic threads are used sparingly, as a hint within the pattern. It is not so much the absolute outcome but the effort invested into the creation.
        If a ball has been prepared and worked in these manners then it can be called a Temari. I cannot be so bold as to say if they are not, they are not Temaris, but given the information I have been able to compile, these two "tests" seem to hold true.

How did they ever come to be? Why do they work? - this is not so much a question of why in terms of need - children needed playthings, mothers wanted to keep their children happy and show their love, the available materials of the time (Temari began before the introduction of rubber to Japan), and quite frankly, Japanese women of the court needed something to occupy their time with. In keeping with Japanese tradition, art is an important part of life, and what began as a useful item also became something to be admired. Skills increased in embellishing the balls to the exquisite things we know today. But - that not withstanding, how on earth did the first Temari makers figure this all out???? As far as making a ball - a round ball - natural laws of physics helped. When you apply constant pressure around a mass - as in wrapping threads around a mass of fabric - the mass wants to assume the smallest volume that it can. In nature, this is what forms spheres. The pressure of tight thread wraps "makes" the fabric form a ball - a very tight, dense one if you so desire. This is why those Temari crafters of today that delve into making their own mari bases, find that the ones they make are rounder and smoother than ones made with a preformed ball to begin with. When you begin with a hard core that has no "give" to it, there is nothing to absorb the pressure you are applying with your thread, and you get lumps and bumps, unless you are being very careful in even application. When you wrap a soft core, you are allowing physics to help you achieve a round ball. So - for what in modern times is a struggle, producing a round base, was greatly enhanced by using nature in their origins.
As far as the divisions - while these may seem to be so complicated, and one might think that in those ancient times so little was known about science, math and geometry - it is actually quite the opposite. The divisions that we use today in making Temari are direct applications of naturally occurring crystal faces, and other natural things in life. Geometry is present in many facets in natural life. Once again the Japanese were using nature about them, then as they still honor it so much today. While it certainly is remarkable at how the methods of creating these naturally occurring divisions evolved, it probably also links in to the building and architecture that was well in use, just applied on a smaller scale.
Most early, traditional historical Temari patterns stem directly from nature themes, for the Japanese draw much of their art and decorating from the things created around them, and they highly honor it. Many of the elements still used to day are direct or evolved interpretations of these stitches and patterns, and while to us in the west they seem to be just pretty patterns, to the Japanese many of them still have symbolic meanings and names. Many times the pattern elements were combined not only for how they looked when completed but more so for the meanings they combined with to convey a theme.

These thoughts are presented as researched commentary - I invite you to share your thoughts if you have accurate information to contribute on these notes.