---

Group offers limited sale of kadomatsu

While you're in the throes of Christmas, pause for a moment to think about New Year planning. TEMARI is once again offering a limited supply of kadomatsu, the gate pine decoration that represents long life and prosperity for the coming year.

Orders are being taken for the handcrafted arrangements, for pickup between 11:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Dec. 26 at Ward Warehouse. There will be three styles available:

Plantation kadomatsu: $25 in honor of TEMARI's 25th anniversary. This features sprigs of bamboo and pine in a section of bamboo stalk. Only 300 are available.

Grand kadomatsu: This 3-foot-tall arrangement of three bamboo stalks with pine branches comes anchored in a woven basket and is decorated with auspicious ornaments. Only 100 will be made at $100 each.

Corporate kadomatsu: Appropriate for display at hotels, restaurants and other places of business, this 5-foot-tall arrangement of the bamboo trio and pine is also embellished with auspicious red and white paper and "mizuhiki" knots. The cost is $250; these will be delivered to your site.

For those who want to learn about Japanese New Year traditions, TEMARI will also host "A New Year's Festival" coinciding with the kadomatsu pickup date. From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ward Warehouse amphitheater, families can observe the creation of plantation and grand kadomatsu, feel the rhythm of taiko drums and practice New Year rituals such as creating cards of lucky kanji or creating fish prints. The event is free.

To reserve your kadomatsu, call 536-4566, or order online at www.temaricenter.com and pay through Paypal.

Reception to unveil 50 kimono paintings

The Art Board will be unveiling 50 original kimono paintings on silk by Jintaro Nishimura (1915-1988), with a public reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Saturday. The show will continue 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily through Dec. 20.

Nishimura was born in Kyoto, where he was trained in kimono art, using water-based pigment derived from a shell, which is ground to a fine consistency, then mixed with "nikawa," or melted pine sap. The nikawa gives the pigment its deep rich color and enables it to adhere to the silk. Flour, sand, charcoal, gold leafing, ink and many other media and techniques might be used in a single work.

This will be the first showing of Nishimura's work in the United States. The exhibition will be at 1931 S. Beretania St. at McCully Street. For more information, call 949-0700.