|
There can hardly be a western person who didn't, as a child, make a paper airplane using folded newspaper
or a sheet from a notebook. The more adventurous might have made a hat or, if they were lucky, might have been
introduced to the almost limitless possibilities that origami and a creative mind can conjour up. These days, while
some people consider it a real art form that is very Zen-like in its simplicity and depth, origami
is regarded mainly as an activity for children, who are taught just a few standard designs. Even in Japan, the most
complicated design that most people master is the tsuru (crane), which has developed into a worldwide symbol
of children's desire for peace. But origami has a long history and was originally not for children at all.
Like many things in Japanese culture, origami (from "oru" meaning to fold, and "kami" meaning paper) has its origins in China. It is believed that paper was
first made, and folded, in China in the first or second century. The earliest records of origami in Japan
date to the Heian Period (794-1185). It was during this period that
Japan's nobility had its golden age and it was a time of great artistic and cultural advances. Paper was
still a rare enough comodity that origami was a pastime for the elite. Paper was folded into set shapes for
ceremonial occasions such as weddings. Serrated strips of white paper were used to mark sacred objects, a custom
which can still be seen in every shrine to this day.
It was in the Edo Period (1600-1868) that much of today's popular
traditional culture developed as forms of entertainment for the merchant classes and the common people.
Kabuki and ukiyo-e are just two examples and origami also
gained poularity. By the mid-19th century, 70 or more different designs had been created. But aside from its
ceremonial use, its popularity has been in decline since the Meiji Period
(1886-1912) and the modernization of Japan.
Above: Thousands of origami tsuru hang in strings in a temple. Upper right: An elaborate origami by
Aidan Dysart. Right: Origami tsuru come in all sizes. |
|
In the mid-1950s, 11-year old Sasaki Sadako developed leukemia as a result of her exposure to radiation as a baby during
the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945. Tradition held that if you made a senbazuru (a thousand paper cranes)
and made a wish after completing each one, your wish would come true. Sadako set about making the tsuru, wishing
for her own recovery. But as she continued, she began to wish instead for world peace. She died when she had made
only 644 and her school friends completed the full number and dedicated them to her at her funeral. The story
helped inspire the Children's Peace Memorial in Hiroshima and a statue
of Sadako in Seattle. Each year on Peace Day
(August 6th), thousands of origami tsuru are sent to Hiroshima by chidren all over the world. There are too many
folding steps in making a tsuru for me to describe simply here and lots of sites already provide this and many other
ideas (see the links below).
In more recent times, the Internet has helped spread the word about Japanese culture, both the long-hidden aspects and
the things that western people had heard of but knew little about. Origami is one such facet that lends itself to the visual
medium. Designs can be explained in line diagrams or photos and, with practice, can be mastered by anyone. The next step, as
with any art form, is to find a topic or field that appeals and develop your own style.
In the words of Yoshizawa Akira, the 'acknowledged grandmaster of origami, the father of modern creative origami':
"You can fold a simple quadrilateral paper into any shape as you want. I wished to fold the laws of nature, the dignity of life,
and the expression of affection into my work...Folding life is difficult, because life is a shape or an appearance caught in a
moment, and we need to feel the whole of natural life to fold one moment." (from Joseph Wu's Origami Page)
|
