Handmade Temari in solid color

Temari · hand-stitched cotton · Sanuki Kagari Temari atelier

What is temari?
Temari — meaning "handball" in Japanese — originated centuries ago as a pastime among aristocratic women. While those scenes belong to another era, the intricate techniques and spirit of temari-making have been passed down through generations.

A contemporary reimagination of tradition
At the Sanuki Kagari Temari atelier, this fading cultural tradition is preserved and reimagined as contemporary craft. Each temari is made by hand, wrapped in layers of cotton thread dyed with natural pigments extracted from plants and trees. Every delicate stitch forms a kaleidoscopic pattern, radiating warmth and the quiet beauty of nature.

This collection offers solid-colored temari with a modern sensibility. Where traditional temari tend toward vivid, multicolored designs, these restrained variations allow the precision of each pattern to be appreciated in its purest form.

Harvest yellow
A vibrant 92-faceted looped design in botanical yellow dye. The pattern symbolizes continuity and the quiet fortune of things proceeding smoothly — without beginning or end.

Pure white
A gentle design featuring 32 floral motifs stitched in soft white cotton thread. It embodies purity, calm, and a quiet elegance that needs no color to make itself felt.

Indigo blue
Though it appears solid at first glance, this temari is woven from five traditional Japanese blue tones — asagi, nodo, hanada, navy, and kachiiro. A hana-temari floral pattern brings out the nuanced depth of an ancient color culture.

Temari were once playthings. Today they are kept as ornaments, given as gifts, or simply held as objects that carry the quiet grace of a long tradition. Whether displayed or given, these hand-stitched spheres need no explanation.

Behind the scenes

The story behind this piece

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