Temari, elaborately embroidered balls, were a popular New Year’s toy and decoration. This particular ball holds a secret—the months of the year of 1808 are printed in red as a decorative pattern on the surface. As Japan followed a lunar calendar at this time, whether a month was “long” (30 days) or “short” (29 days) changed each year. Though technically the production of calendars was highly regulated by the government, prints like this playfully hid the calendric information within the composition.

---