A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.

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Baren
An instrument used to print Japanese woodcuts. The baren can be considered the eastern equivalent of the western frotton* even though it is used for water colour printing whereas the frotton is used with oil colours. Barens are usually found in the form of disks with a diameter of 13 centimeters (5 inches). The inside!is made up of cardboard disks wrapped in hemp string, all of which is then covered with a leaf of bamboo. The ends of the bamboo leaf are turned up so as to form a kind of handle. The bamboo leaf, whose veins should be very fine and parallel to each other, can thus glide over the back of a sheet op paper which, in turn, lies on an inked block. The baren ensures the pressure needed for a succesful printing. [*wood].
An article was published on how to make your own ball baren.
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