By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics
Temari balls are a traditional Japanese craft in which colored thread is applied to a sphere in a geometric pattern. This is a modern example, given to me by the Japanese master Kiyoko Urata.
There has been a repopularization of temari recently by people such as Carolyn Yackel at Mercer University, who teaches and writes about their underlying mathematics. Below is an example of her work with thirty rectangles centered on the two-fold rotation points of the icosahedral symmetry group.
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Gareth Branwyn is a freelance writer and the former Editorial Director of Maker Media. He is the author or editor of over a dozen books on technology, DIY, and geek culture. He is currently a contributor to Boing Boing, Wink Books, and Wink Fun. His free weekly-ish maker tips newsletter can be found at garstipsandtools.com.
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