eBook
Related collections and offers
Overview
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9780486149028 |
---|---|
Publisher: | Dover Publications |
Publication date: | 05/23/2012 |
Series: | Dover Origami Papercraft |
Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
Format: | eBook |
Pages: | 160 |
File size: | 25 MB |
Note: | This product may take a few minutes to download. |
Read an Excerpt
Modern Origami
By James Minoru Sakoda
Dover Publications, Inc.
Copyright © 1997 James Minoru SakodaAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-486-14902-8
CHAPTER 1
An Introduction to Modern Origami
THE NATURE OF THE BOOK
A common criticism of beginner's origami books is that the directions are difficult to follow, and when one succeeds in finishing an object it is not terribly exciting or attractive. One might start with a paper cup, go on to a boat or a ball (known as a water bomb to those who have attended college and have had occasion to drop them on fellow students) and end up, if fortunate, with a successfully folded sitting crane or even a frog. More often than not the child is unable to do the squash fold for the square preliminary fold or the base for the sitting crane. He runs to his parents, who give it a cursory try and then give up, and the origami book, probably received for Christmas or as a birthday present, is put away in favor of more satisfying articles. A basic source of difficulty is the belief that origami is a childish pastime and therefore not worth much effort. Still another is the desire to skip the preliminary lessons and plunge into the middle.
It is my belief that this book will be more successful where others have failed. It is directed toward adult paper folding, which leads to more complex but also more satisfying creations than those found in books devoted to more traditional paper folding. It pays particular attention to systematic teaching of basic symbols and the manner in which instructions should be followed. The chapters which follow are generally arranged in order of difficulty. Each chapter is grouped around a basic fold such as bird base, eight-point star, T-fold, owl base, frog base, etc., so that several objects emerge from a single basic design. The directions are still not always easy to follow, even given the written instructions, the broken lines and the arrows, the result shown in a subsequent drawing, and, finally, a photograph of the finished object. Part of the lesson to be learned is that such directions are inherently difficult to write and even more difficult to follow; it is necessary to proceed chapter by chapter, step by step, and persevere when a hangup occurs. On the other hand, when a finished product is reached it can be a thing of beauty which is a source of endless pleasure. It provides entrance into a world of delightful make-believe, which one can enjoy alone or share with others.
THE HISTORY OF ORIGAMI
Origami is a Japanese word for paper folding (ori, fold; kami, paper, which becomes gami when combined) and refers to the art of folding objects from a sheet of paper. Origami also refers to the use of folded paper for ceremonial use, such as the decorative noshi (see page 3) attached to gifts. Today the word origami is taken to mean folding of paper for pleasure rather than for any particular or ceremonial purpose. In Japan origami is a form of play, primarily for little girls. In its traditional form origami consists of folding square pieces of paper and making objects without cutting or pasting. Colored papers ranging in size from five to nine inches square are available commercially. The traditional figures include the helmet (kabuto), the double boat (nisobune), the inside-out boat (fune), the doll (yakkosan) and the popular and elegant sitting crane (tsuru), all shown on page 3. These figures are relatively simple in form, a result probably of the basic mode of transmission of knowledge from mother to child, with the aid of books written for children. Most traditional figures are flat rather than three-dimensional, boxy in form rather than long and elegant, and not particularly attractive as decorative objects. An exception is the sitting crane, which is the favorite among the Japanese. Its narrow head and tail, the clean-cut lines, and its three-dimensional form all combine to make it an attractive figure.
It is not clear just how ancient the art of origami for pleasure is. It is possible that it began in China and was brought to Japan, but this is just a conjecture. The existence of a Chinese junk (page 35) among the traditional folds leads one to suspect that paper folding was developed, at least in part, in China. It is not a popular folding in Japan, and Honda, who has a version of it in his book, refers to it as a Korean boat. According to Kosho Uchiyama, literary references clearly show that by the middle of the Edo Period (1614-1868) origami had become a popular pastime in Japan. The earliest definite citation is from a work published in 1682, in which reference is made to a seven-year-old child playing orisue (as origami was called) and making birds and flowers. He cites other references to the folding of the crane, the helmet and the double boat, indicating that these were in existence during that period.
In addition to origami for children, there also existed creative origami by adults. There is one reference by a writer who died in 1856 to a remarkable merchant in the Asakusa section of Tokyo who by folding paper could make any kind of human, animal and bird figures desired. A more tangible record of creative adult origami is Volume 233 of the encyclopedia Kan no mado. It was lost at one point, but a copy was recently discovered and published. It contains instructions for making complex figures such as the human figures, a dragonfly, a spider with eight legs, a lobster and Japanese dolls. The complexity is achieved in part by freely cutting around or into the paper. The book is undated, but is believed to have been published in the middle of the 1800s.
THE RISE OF CREATIVE ADULT FOLDING
Since the end of World War II there has been a revival of interest in creative adult paper folding. An outstanding event was the publication of Bibliography of Paper-Folding by Gershon Legman in 1952. This was followed by the establishment of the Origami Center under the leadership of Lillian Oppenheimer. It held its first meeting in October 1958 and published the first issue of the Origamian the same year. The Origami Center has been instrumental in bringing adults interested in origami into contact with one another. Names featured in the Origamian include Akira Yoshizawa from Japan, Ligia Montoya from Argentina, Robert Harbin from England, Peppino Baggi from Italy, Adolfo Cerceda from Buenos Aires, Fred Rohm from the United States, Michio and Kosho Uchiyama from Japan, Dr. Vincente Solorzano Sagredo from Spain. The author was featured in the winter 1964 edition. Several folders' groups have since been formed in various places, such as Argentina, England, and Japan, an indication of rising interest in adult paper folding. Some of the contributions of these folders and others have appeared in print and can be examined and learned at close hand. Particularly significant are Randlett's The Best of Origami and Harbin's Secrets of Origami, both of which are collections of creative folds.
Each folder has a style of his own and has a unique contribution to make, if he is creative. The chief effort, of course, is to make original figures. Three special devices used to accomplish this are cutting the paper, pasting two folded pieces together, and starting from nonsquare forms such as a triangle, a rectangle, a hexagon, etc. On page 6 Adolfo Cerceda's lion is folded from two pieces, both from the widely used bird base. The dragonfly from the Kan no mado was folded from a square, but cuts were introduced to form the four wings. There is now a general tendency among the better folders to frown upon cutting or pasting, but these are considered permissible if the result is superb. Folding from forms other than a square, while not traditional, is generally considered permissible, Robert Harbin's attractive bat is folded from an equilateral triangle.
New figures can and have been made by clever innovators without recourse to pasting and cutting. Two distinctive approaches can be recognized. One is the systematic search for new basic folds from which a number of figures can be made. Outstanding exponents of this approach are Kosho Uchiyama and Dr. Vincente Solorzano Sagredo, both of whom have published books to their credit. For example, Uchiyama points out that the base for an eight-point figure can be made by putting together four sets of creases from a bird base, and that similarly the base for a twelve-point figure needed for the crab can be made from four sets of creases from the frog base. The unsystematic folder aims for an object and finds ways and means of arriving at it without particular concern for basic folds. A good example of this type of folder is Fred Rohm, who considers paper folding a challenge toward folding seemingly impossible combinations. His magic rabbit in a cube and his jack-in-the-box are good examples. The advantage of the systematic approach is that it provides for systematic accumulation of knowledge of related basic forms, and makes for easier teaching.
Another distinction can be made among folders on the basis of the appearance of the finished product rather than the complexity of the folds. Many folders strive for realism, putting in crooks in the legs and arms, rounding off corners, etc. The artistic folder, best illustrated by Ligia Montoya, observes the limitations of the paper, emphasizes clean-cut straight lines, which are characteristic of folds, and produces beautiful and somewhat stylized figures. Ligia Montoya used thin airmail paper, which helped to preserve clean-cut lines. On page 6 is shown her pigeon, which can be contrasted with the Moor at prayer, of Spanish origin. Another dimension in which figures vary is their three-dimensional quality. Boxes, furniture, flowers and boats are frequently folded as three-dimensional objects. Human and animal figures, however, are generally folded as flat two-dimensional figures, as illustrated by the figures on page 6.
MODERN ORIGAMI
This book, which I titled Modern Origami, contains instructions for folding about fifty of my own creations, of which there are about one hundred in all at this writing. I have maintained the restriction of folding from a square piece of paper without cutting or pasting, and have developed a style in the direction of systematic, stylized, artistic and three-dimensional forms. One reason for not cutting—which is frequently used to achieve realistic details such as ears, legs, etc.—is that it destroys the beauty of the straight line. It also prevents the search for more complex bases and techniques of folding. It is frequently the restriction of the uncut paper which provides the stylized effect, which adds to the beauty of the folded figure.
In order to make artistic creations without cuts and still make long and thin limbs, I have found it necessary to shift from commercially available origami paper to aluminum-foil paper. This paper is truly modern and happens to be ideal for paper folding. The paper on one side makes folding or refolding possible, while the aluminum foil helps to hold the creases in place. Aluminum-foil paper is available in the United States in large quantity at Christmas time as gift-wrapping paper. It is usually packaged in rolls of varying lengths, usually 26 inches wide. I have used two sizes of paper extensively: 8 ½ inches square when the roll is cut in thirds and 6 ¼ inches when cut in fourths. Except for extremely intricate objects such as the crab, objects generally can be folded readily with 6 ¼-inch-square foil paper, provided it is thin. Finely embossed paper is generally easier to fold than papers with smooth finishes or heavy embossing.
Aluminum-foil paper also comes in a variety of colors and has a luminous surface which is ideal for displaying your origami. Patterns and even words on the paper sometimes provide impressive effects when used with the appropriate figures. For example, a brand of paper called India Foil features stripes of different colors. A paper with two or three stripes of bright colors makes an attractive insect. The problem in using foil paper is that it is necessary to accumulate a collection of the suitable weight and design at Christmas time and cut it to the desired size when needed. Directions for cutting rolls of paper are given in Chapter II. Packages of aluminum-foil paper should be available in bookstores and in larger quantities from the J. C. Campbell Paper Company, 30 Freight Street, Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
To make larger objects, sheets two to three feet square can be used, but there is need for corresponding increase in strength. Heavy aluminum foil backed with kraft paper can be used for medium-size objects. It is used to cover doors and is available at Christmas time. Thin cardboard with aluminum foil bonded on both sides is also commercially available at art-supply stores. I have seen it used as background for an aquarium.
One should always be on the lookout for newer material. Recently I discovered Forbon, which comes in sheets 30 by 50 inches, is as stiff as cardboard, but can be folded and unfolded and still hold its creases. The heavier form of Forbon seemed to be too heavy to fold. However, I followed my son's suggestion of wetting the material, and discovered that it became flexible like leather when wet and then hardened into a rigid form as it dried. The best procedure probably is to wet one side only, retaining flexibility on one side for ease of folding and rigidity on the other to hold creases. By taping two lightweight sheets together and using the wetting process, I have been able to make a standing stork 42 inches tall, which stands on its own two feet without any aid. Forbon is manufactured by NVF Company, Parsons Paper Division, Wilmington, Delaware.
HOW INNOVATION BEGAN
My interest in paper folding stems from a background of Japanese culture mixed with American influence. My parents were immigrants from Japan to the United States, and I was brought up in the Japanese community in and around Los Angeles. I was sent to a Japanese-language school after public school was over and on Sundays to a Buddhist church Sunday school. My background was therefore steeped in Japanese culture maintained by the transplanted immigrants, and, among other things like judo, and go, I learned some origami, probably from my mother. I can remember folding the inside-out boat, the crane, the trick boat, the helmet, the yakkosan and the ball (water bomb). Beyond childhood, however, I showed little interest in origami until after my son, William, was born. By this time, 1952, I was at the University of Connecticut teaching psychology, and I found the chairman of the department, Professor Weston Bousfield, folding traditional figures from available books. His father was a medical missionary in China, and he derived his interest in origami from that. I bought a few books myself and began to relearn some of the traditional figures. Much of the activity was concentrated at Christmas time, when it was possible to decorate the Christmas tree with balls and the sitting crane. I remember making mobiles for some of my neighbors. At one point I concentrated on airplanes and boats for my son. My first innovation was a modification of the inside-out boat, on which I managed to add a sail and a keel. Another was a swept-back-wing airplane and a Mosquito bomber. The latter I later modified to make my prizewinning entry for the Scientific American First International Paper Airplane Contest in 1967. I also modified the traditional charcoal brazier to make an attractive four-point star.
The beginning of active creation came in 1955 when I showed my sister-in-law, Mrs. George Sakoda, in California the four-pointed star. She thought it would be nice if it could be changed into an eight-pointed star. I thought about it overnight, and came up with a maneuver—sinking the center point—which would allow me to make eight equal-length points rather than four long ones with four stubby ones in between. Thus the eight-point star was born. The development which followed was almost automatic. I found that when I pulled apart the eight-point star and refolded it along existing creases, I could easily make a number of animals with little effort. In rapid succession I made Pegasus, the angelfish, a camel, a seal, a kitten. Others evolved more slowly, and some involved development of a unique move. An example is the T-fold, from which it was possible to make the giraffe, the donkey and the peacock. In a sense what I did was make many creases when folding the eight-point star, and follow the creases to make stylized and attractive figures.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Modern Origami by James Minoru Sakoda. Copyright © 1997 James Minoru Sakoda. Excerpted by permission of Dover Publications, Inc..
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
Table of Contents
Contents
Title Page,Copyright Page,
Preface to the Dover Edition,
Preface,
Dedication,
CHAPTER I - An Introduction to Modern Origami,
CHAPTER II - Basic Moves,
CHAPTER III - The Bird Base,
CHAPTER IV - The Eight-Point Star,
CHAPTER V - Three-Legged Animals and the Nun,
CHAPTER VI - The T-Fold,
CHAPTER VII - Miscellaneous Eight-Point-Star Figures,
CHAPTER VIII - The Owl Base,
CHAPTER IX - The Stretched Bird Base,
CHAPTER X - The Frog Base,
CHAPTER XI - The Offset Bird Base,
Three Revisions of the SST Origami Airplane (1997),
BIBLIOGRAPHY FOR ADULT PAPER FOLDING (Revised 1997),
Indexes,
ABOUT THE AUTHOR,