Institute for Biodiversity Science and Sustainability

CAS Anthropology Collections Database


Catalog Number

CAS 1993-0001-0306   CAS 1993-0001-0306; String ball
Category Folk Toys
Object Name String ball
Culture Japanese
Global Region East Asia
Country Japan
State/Prov./Dist. unknown
County
Other Geographic Data
Maker's Name Unknown
Date of Manufacture ca. 1980s
Collection Name Kadota Collection (Japanese Folk Toys)
Materials Styrofoam; Thread
Description Ball made by carefully winding threads in certain patterns and colors to form certain designs or geometric shapes; The background color of this ball is red, while black, green, gold, and pale green have been woven over the top of the red to produce a pattern of interlocking squares and triangles, each containing a star-like motif; Traditionally, balls of this sort were made by a mother and then presented to her daughter at the beginning of the new year and used for catching; More recently, they are used as hanging ornaments; Thread balls are made in virtually every Japanese prefecture.
Dimensions (cm) Max Diam = 7.8