Temari balls are a traditional Japanese craft and date back to more than a thousand years ago.
Temari means a hand ball in Japanese, and they are made from beautiful embroidery. People enjoy these temari balls as a toy or a special gift to celebrate life events, or as an art ornament to display.
Originally from Japan Chihiro Kownacki decided to call Sydney home and began teaching the craft in 2014.
“Maybe there are some similarities to growing Japanese bonsai trees. It’s just a ball but you can see your own universe in your hands,” she says.
Participants for Chihiro Kownacki's Japanese temari ball making workshop in Sydney, showing their temari balls. Source: Chihiro Kownacki
“I remember that I really enjoyed watching her (grandmother) make temari balls. It looked like something magical, and I was mesmerized by it. But as I grew older, I got busy with school, work, and didn’t have a chance to make one by myself,” she says.
“Then one day at a book shop in Sydney, I found a book on temari making. That was the start.”
Bridging generations
Her two-hour workshops are currently limited to four participants at a time and are held at a small Japanese inn at Balmain in Sydney's Inner West.
Participants work on the embroidery on a pre-made foundation. Most of the participants are people who already know what a temari ball is, or who are interested in Japanese culture.
“Even with a foundation of the ball being pre-made for a workshop, making a temari ball is not easy. But I really like the gorgeous smiles they make after completing their temari balls. I would say that is kind of addictive.”
Participants take part in a Japanese temari ball making workshop in Sydney. The workshop is run by a Japanese temari artisan Chihiro Kownacki. Source: Chihiro Kownacki
At one time, her workshop consisted of three separate mother-daughter couples, which was totally coincidental. She says that was one of the most memorable workshops she’s ever had.
“The youngest (of the six) was probably 15 years old and the eldest was in her 70s. Watching them, people from different generations, mothers and daughters, make temari balls together, made my heart warm.”
For Ms Kownacki, making a temari ball is also a special way to connect to her family memory and to feel them close, particularly her late grandmother.
“No temari is the same”
Her favorite temari ball is called Hana-karuta (flower and playing cards), which was made by her grandmother. She liked it so much that she brought it with her to Sydney.
It looks like a pentagon pattern only at first, but it looks like a Cherry Blossom shape too.
“When I visited Japan in 2018, my aunty gave me one of my grandmother’s temari-making books. In the book, I found how to make ‘Hana-karuta’. So, I finally could make one by myself,” she says.
Two Japanese temari balls (bottom) were made by a Sydney-based Japanese temari artisan Chihiro Kownacki. The two at the top were made by her grandmother. Source: Chihiro Kownacki
“Now I have two ‘Hana-karuta,’ temari balls, one made by my grandmother and the other by myself. They are now displayed side by side. Feeling like I reached some kind of milestone, both as a temari maker and a granddaughter, by being able to make what my grandmother made.”
There are many patterns used for temari balls. From traditional to modern, seasonal flowers to geometric designs, and some regions in Japan have their own unique patterns. Colours are also important. Using different colours, even just slightly, makes the background and the pattern look totally different.
“Even using the same pattern and the same colours, each temari ball is different according to who made it. No temari is the same just like us, one and only. That’s what I like about temari-making.
Hana-Karuta, special Temari balls for Chihiro Kownacki who teaches the Japanese craft in Sydney. One of them was made by her late grandmother. Source: Chihiro Kownacki
“For me the process is also calming. When I’m making a temari ball, I sometimes feel my late grandmother’s presence,” Ms Kownacki says.
