92-Year-Old Grandmother Creates Amazingly Complex Temari Balls

Temari, meaning “hand ball” in Japanese, are embroidered toy balls fashioned from the silk scraps of old kimonos. This traditional folk art originated in China and made its way to Japan some time in the 7th century. The stitching, which was originally for function alone, became increasingly intricate until temari transcended the role of plaything and developed into a veritable art form. Japanese aristocratic women even participated in temari embroidering competitions. The difficult process of becoming a recognized temari craftsman in Japan is tedious and requires specific training and testing.

These stunning embroidered balls  were made by 92-year-old grandmother in Japan. Although she only learned this elaborate skill in her sixties, she has since created nearly 500 unique designs that have been photographed by her granddaughter NanaAkua.

Source: http://altering-perspectives.com