Origami: Paper Folding

Sham S. Misri

Origami is the art of paper folding. Paper was invented in China around the first century C.E. and the Chinese soon began to fold the new material into decorative shapes. Paper was introduced to Japan in the sixth century C.E. by Buddhist monks,  and it  became an important part of their culture.

Initially, paper was expensive and therefore not available to the general public. Paper folding, was not a hobby: it was used as part of many religious ceremonies. It was even used as a building material. The Japanese turned paper folding into an art, and in Japan it is as important as painting and sculpture. Origami comes from the Japanese words for folding, ori, and paper, Kami.

The Japanese passed on  their paper folding designs by word of mouth; many were passed down from mother to daughter. In the early days, paper folding was done only for important ceremonies. Paper butterflies were made to decorate the wine cups used at Japanese weddings. By the seventh century paper had become less expensive, and origami had become popular pastime in Japan. The first origami books were published in 18th century. Folding techniques have  improved  so much that they would have amazed  the ancient Japanese who invented origami.

Paper cranes are so well known because of a japanese girl who was dying of a blood disease. The girl had heard an old legend: If a sick person folds one thousand origami cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. And so, she set out on a search to fold one thousand cranes. Unfortunately the girl died before completing her project. Ever since then, people have been making origami cranes in memory of this bright girl. 

Sometimes, folded pieces of paper accompanied a valuable gift and it served as a certificate of authenticity. Some  gift wrappers had ceremonial folds and symbolized sincerity and purity and  good fortune.

Paper folding also developed in Spain sometime between the 8th and 12th century. Historians believe that paper and paper-making was introduced into Europe from Asia via the Silk Route.

By 1890's, the word origami was  officially used, and In the 1950, Japanese developed a standard set of origami symbols to describe how to fold paper into models. These symbols remained essentially the same and are used in origami diagrams today.

Origami is the best known of all paper crafts. Rules of origami do not allow the paper to be cut, glued, or decorated. It may only be folded. For this reason, very little equipment is required. Paper is most important thing to start with. Papers of many different types, colors ,and  thicknesses can be used for origami. Gift wrapping paper is good for some projects. Origami  paper can be bought in craft shops. It comes in packs of different sizes and is usually colored on one side and white on the other .Metallic paper is also good for projects. It is metallic on one side and white on the other.

People have been sending one another greeting cards for hundreds of years, but now they are sent for all kinds of reasons. Handmade cards are even more special than store –bought ones.