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A Summary of the Modern Art and Science of Origami in Pictures and Words

Origami Unfolded

On a rainy Friday afternoon in 1952, our teacher presented us each with a shiny piece of thin, blue paper. We liked the looks of it, especially on a Friday afternoon. The purpose of Friday afternoons was generally to launch us 3rd graders into the weekend with something tangible to present to our parents as evidence of good citizenship and orderly progress.

I recall the class following the directions offered by our teacher very carefully. As a result, we were all able to fold the shiny paper into what looked like a bird, more specifically a crane (as we were told). That Friday, we also learned that the crane is the Japanese symbol for peace, and thus is at the center of many Japanese celebrations promoting world unity.

Finally, with teacher's help, we discovered that we were sharing in an artistic tradition known as origami, the word origami derived in turn from two Japanese words, phonetically represented as "oru," meaning folding, and "gami," meaning paper. (On that afternoon so long ago, for the first time, I remember being enlightened, being, as we say in America, "deep." Paper-thin deep, yes. But, deep nonetheless.)

There is some debate as to where paper folding got its start. Just like the invention of the calculus, chess, and many other evidences of man's creativity, paper folding seems to have had separate origins in Germany, Spain, China and Japan. However, the tradition that has won international attention is origami.....

Continue reading Comments (5) Thursday, 12:00 am | February 25th, 2010

Welcome to Ask Toy Tech

Welcome to the ToysPeriod blog - Ask Toy Tech.

The purpose of this blog is to provide quality information about the toy industry, including news and insights regarding how parents and teachers can use toys as educational tools.

As the title of this blog suggests, ToysPeriod's resident experts will take questions and answer them here on the blog. Perhaps you have experienced a unique scenery challenge on your model railroad, or are wondering about the best solution to fill that space on a LEGO diorama. We will either respond directly or post our ideas as a new blog entry. Feel free to send photos.

Additionally, as time permits, we will post well-researched histories of your favorite toymakers.....

Continue reading Comments (2) Saturday, 9:45 pm | May 30th, 2009