Origami History

Series Summary

Origami, a form of visual representation defined by the folding of paper, originated in Japan in the 1600s. Since then, this ancient art has become a popular hobby for many around the globe. Western societies have been practicing origami since the early 1900s, but did you know that the first published origami book, Hiden Senbazuru Orikata (which translated to English means Secret of 1,000 Cranes Origami), was published in 1797?

Origami is regarded as a complicated and delicate art form, but in this free how-to video clip series, a paper folding expert will give step-by-step easy origami instructions on how to fold paper correctly to create almost anything you want. Our expert will show you how to make paper flowers, paper kites, how to make an origami fish and even how to make a dog. These free video clips are useful guides for beginners and for those more advanced in the art of origami.

Video Transcript

"In this series I will show you how to read origami diagrams. Demonstrate some of the folds. Show you how to fold one or two, some simple bases of origami. And show you how to fold one or two models using each of these bases. Some definitions of origami. A finished piece is called a model. The person who first created this piece is the designer. The illustrated steps we follow to fold this model is the diagram. And we are the paper folders. If you pick up an origami book in any language most likely you will be able to follow the diagrams. This universal language of origami symbols were developed in the early 1950's by Master Yoshizawa Akira. His work made it possible for anyone to learn origami. Thus revolutionizing it's development. In the past 50 years origami has grown in leaps and bounds being recognized not just as an art but also as an important tool for math and engineering. Any paper may be used for origami. From the plainest copy paper to this exquisite washi paper made from specified plant fibers and hand dyed by Japanese artists. Traditionally origami was taught through demonstration. That was how I learned. In this series I will teach you the way I was taught as well as how you might learn on your own through books."