ORIGAMI: The Ancient art of paper folding

Origami is a Japanese art but was originated in China in the first or second century and then later spread in Japan in the sixth century. The word Origami was derived from a Japanese word “Ori” and “Kami”, which means Folding (Ori) and Paper (Kami). 

During the invention of Origami, paper was so expensive, and so, only rich could afford to do paper folding. Origami was not just a luxurious form of past time. Samurai Warriors used Origami (Folded Paper) to exchange gifts in a form of Noshi, a folded paper with a strip of dried fish or meat, and was considered as a good luck token. Wedding celebration was done for the Shinto Noblemen by wrapping glasses of sake or rice wine with butterfly Origami to represent the Groom and the Bride.

Origami became a popular art and with the development of less expensive paper, even poor people had opportunity to do Origami. There were no written instructions on how to properly fold Origami models. Directions were taught to generations orally, and was became part of the Japan’s cultural Heritage.

The first written Origami directions were published in 1977 (How to fold 1000 cranes). A book entitled “A magician turns sheets of birds” was published in 1819 shows birds being created from pieces of paper. Another similar book, “Window on mid-winter”, published in 1845 includes a collection of about 150 Origami models. The “Window on Mid-Winter” introduced the frog model, a well-known Origami model until today.