Playthings of nobility become art

Lasting Tradition By Tatsuya Sakamoto

Gotenmari are traditional thread balls made by the maids of noble women in the Edo period (1613-1868). The balls are wrapped and stitched with colorful threads, often in beautiful patterns such as that of a chrysanthemum.

The toys later spread from the castles of the nobility to commoners.

The people of Yurihonjo, Akita Prefecture, take pride in the intricate craft because it is believed that maids in a nearby castle were the first to make the toy in 1613, the year the castle was built.

Now, gotenmari have become art. They are often presented as a gift adorned with celebratory red and white tassels on occasions such as births, school enrollment, weddings and housewarming parties.

Enchanted by the balls' vibrant colors, Toshiko Abe, 62, started making gotenmari when she was in her mid-40s.

Abe said she could vaguely recall having gotenmari in her home.

"Someone in the family used them to play football and handball," she said.

As she grew up, sometimes seeing the toys in shopwindows and receiving one as a gift, she became captivated by the craft.

Abe makes balls, starting with chaff in the center and then winds colorful silk threads and rayon filament yarns round it, stitching them firmly together. Her gotenmari have beautiful patterns such as chrysanthemums, cherry blossoms, cranes and a variety of insignia.

The patterns are geometric, and Abe said she often got ideas from looking at nature, such as flowers and plants. She also is inspired by paintings and photographs.

One of the most difficult parts of the craft is coloration. But Abe said she drew inspiration from the colors of clothes, table arrangements--"everything I look at."

The city government has organized an annual gotenmari competition since 1970 to promote the craft, attracting artists from all over the country.

The strong local interest in the art led Abe to start teaching it at local primary and middle schools.

Abe said she traveled to Budapest in 2003 to give demonstrations as part of an international cultural exchange program organized by the prefecture and recently made a gotenmari with the city's insignia pattern, which was redesigned after the city of Honjo merged with seven other towns earlier this year. It is displayed at the entrance of city hall.

Abe said she was inspired by the sunset on the Sea of Japan, which can be seen from near her house.

"I want to depict the subtle shades of the ocean sunset, which has different colors every day," she said.