The origin of origami
What events shaped this ancient papercraft?
Just as the process of creating an origami masterpiece comes with a series of subtle steps, the art form itself was a gradual evolution. The term ‘origami’ comes from the Japanese words ‘ori’, meaning ‘folding’, and ‘kami’, meaning ‘paper’. This literal translation defines the art, which involves creating sculptures from single sheets of paper. No cuts are made, and no attachments are added. The shapes are made purely by folding.
Paper was first invented in China around
105 CE. Japan later adopted this material in the sixth century when Buddhist monks brought it over from China. Because paper deteriorates quickly over time, evidence to prove the earliest existence of origami has long decomposed. It’s thought that the Japanese began using origami decorations shortly after paper reached the country, but it isn’t known whether the idea came from art in China.
Today paper is cheaply available, but for the first thousand years that origami was crafted in Japan, the expense of the new product limited it to special occasions and formal ceremonies. It wasn’t until the 1600s that the art form became a more common pastime.
Originally, origami artists were known to cut their creations to create more realistic features, but Japanese paper folding soon added styles from Europe. The European version of paper folding began with the use of napkins, which meant designs couldn’t be cut. New techniques have also evolved during recent years. Origami artist Akira Yoshizawa is considered the master of modern origami. Before his death in 2005, he invented new techniques, such as wet-folding. This involves dampening the paper to allow curved shapes to be created.