An ari hook is widely used for making ari embroidery, a form of chain stitch work that for centuries has been made in India as well as Iran and parts of the Middle East. By the eighteenth century ari work had come to Europe and was quickly adopted, especially in France and Britain, where it became known as tambour work. In Europe, the hook used for tambour work is normally called a tambour hook. The ari hook is comparable in appearance to a tambour hook, but the ari version is much longer and finer.
See also the TRC Needles entry on tambour hook versus ari hook.
Digital source of illustration (retrieved 9th July 2016).
GVE