Origami - Japanese art
Origami - an ancient art of paper folding, comes from China, expanded and popularized in Japan. That’s why it’s considered as a traditional japan art. The rules are simple: At the beginig there is only a square sheet of paper, scissors and glue are not allowed. Shapes can be made only by folding a paper.Origami came to Japan cause of chinise monks wihich also brought an ability of paper production. At the beginning paper was imported to Japan from China and the low availability and high price caused that it was used only in religy ceremonials shintō, that’s why paper was connected with a god Kami (“kami” – paper, god). In XVII century Japanies invented their own way of paper production (washi) and that’s the thing that helped in spreading paper and popularizing origami. First book about origami was written in 1797 in Japan, where were shown 49 ways of folding a crane, japanies symbol of happiness and life. Nowdays origami in Japan is also one of elements in raising children.
The beginning of origami tradition is datet around year 700 - at first there were made decorations for religy ceremonials, and as the time goes on also houses bacame docorated. In the time of Heian (794-1185) a very popular custom was to twine letters and gifts into a valuable paper.
In times of Edo was performed an “revolution” in origami – people started to shorten and put sheets of paper on each other, and the popularity of this art rised extremely. In times of Meiji origami bacame a subject in elementary school. Students are learning it till this day – thanks to this they have possibility to know rudiments of geometry etc.
In Japan origami is especially popular among young girls. Origami was shown and popularized in world by Akiro Yoshizawa in 50’s of XX century. In Tokio since 1990 exists a JOAS organization (Japan Origami Academic Society http://www.origami.gr.jp/) which concentrates origami lovers. In Poland propagator of origami is Masakatsu Yoshida. It has many fans in whole wide world – there are organizations like: Origami-USA or British Origami Association.
One of types, that went far away from traditional paper folding from a single, square sheet of paper is modular origami. Most of modular shapes are the clumps with high symmetry. There are made of same or similar modules, and each of them is made from a separated sheet of paper. Number of modules that the shape is made of can be since only two (regular tetrahedron) up to few hundred and even more (well... try to imagine)
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