Diamond ball, ito-mari. Originally these were toys for a girl, also wedding gifts, a symbol of good luck. The ball is constructed of layers of different coloured threads, forming a geometric pattern, wound around a round core. The ground colour is red, with gold thread wound around it. The next layer is a band of purple and white around the equator, followed by green, pink, white and black and red, forming a star pattern on either hemisphere. It has a green suspension loop, and a white and orange tassel.
toy
Continue exploring anthropology
sample (rope & stringmaking)
protective charm; spindle whorl (spindle (textileworking: yarn preparation & felting))
necklace (neck ornament (personal adornment)); timgelutin
pipe bowl (pipe (narcotics & intoxicants: smoking))
Collection Information
These objects are only a part of our collections, of which there are more than 350,000 objects. This information comes from our collections database. Some of this is incomplete and there may be errors. This part of the website is also still under construction, so there may be some fields repeated or incorrectly formatted information.
The database retains language taken from historical documents to help research. Please note that some records may feature language and reflect systems of thinking that are outdated and offensive. The database also includes information on objects that are considered secret or sacred by some communities.
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