History Part I

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Now, most of us are familiar with origami in terms of the crane (as shown on the left). However, origami is actually a more complex subject matter than this iconic model.

The term, "origami" originated in Japan which combines the word "oru", meaning to fold, with the word "kami", meaning paper (History of Origami). Before this term was used, the term "orikata", or folding shapes, was used to describe this disciplinary until the late 1800s (History of Origami). Material requirements usually involves a single sheet of paper that is folded "without cutting or pasting to produce a sculpted representational figure" (Engel 18). Most of the time the paper is a perfect square shape (Engel 18).

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Besides coining the term, Japanese society regards origami with high respects due to its social impact in history, especially in its involvement with art and ceremonies (Engel 18). To start off, paper was a rare novelty and a precious product that only the Japanese nobility could afford (Engel 18). Thus, origami became heavily integrated into their lives, becoming a significant past time or a hobby for the nobility by the Heian period (Engel 18). Engel states this period took place during 794 to 1185 (18). Other uses of origami include wrapping paper butterflies onto rice wine or sake to represent the bride and groom during wedding celebrations by the Shinto noblemen (Engel 18). Samurai warriors also used origami as tokens of good luck which was decorated onto strips of abalone or dried meat to trade with gifts. Later on, paper became inexpensive enough to produce by the militarily-ruled Muromachi period, or during 1338 to 1573 (Engel 18). This allowed everyone to access paper as well as allowing origami to assume "a new ceremonial role as a means of social stratification" (Engel 18). In other words, a social class system was established that was symbolized through the use of origami. For instance, the samurais of the aristocratic class were distinguished by the fact that they use the Ise manner folding technique for origami (Engel 18). Farmers and peasants also folded but as Engel puts, "people knew their place, and they folded accordingly", indicating they folded with different techniques (18). It wasn't until the Tokugawa period that Japan experienced a period of rich culture and art like England's Elizabethan Age that origami became open and democratic for everyone (Engel 18).



Sources:
Engel, Peter. "A Paper Folder's Finding." 24: 16-22. Web. 28 May 2014.
"History of Origami." PBS. PBS, 30 Nov. 2009. Web. 28 May 2014. <http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/between-the-folds/history.html>.