From: Dawn Tucker via Origami <origami@lists.digitalorigami.com>
To: "origami@lists.digitalorigami.com" <origami@lists.digitalorigami.com> Sent: Monday, October 2, 2017 8:40 PM Subject: [Origami] On the subject of what constitutes origami ....But back to my question: Who decided origami couldn't be cut or glued, and where, and when? Dawn Hello Dawn, and all: I think that this is as good a place as any to mention a few things from a conversation that I had with Mr. Yoshihide Momotani, back in 1998, in Paris--about a dozen or so of us were there to exhibit our origami creations at the Carrousel du Louvre. Mr. Momotani explained to me that he had been researching the history of paper folding as it was employed in the original Kindergarten, prescribed by Friedrich Froebel. Mr. Momotani had traveled to Germany to examine original documents, materials, and models used in the origami lessons for Kindergarten. From his investigations, he postulated two ideas that I found most interesting. 1. The use of the word "Origami" as it pertains to modern paper folding activities was the direct result of German texts for Kindergarten paper-folding exercise being transliterated into Japanese after Kindergarten was introduced in Japan. Froebel simply used the German words "Papier Falter" (paper folding) to identify this activity. "Papier Falter" was directly transliterated to Origami for use in the Japanese Kindergarten texts. Prior to that, many Japnese words were variously used to identify a wide variety of paper craft that included folding of some kind. Mr. Momotani also explained to me that prior to the influences of Kindergarten, the Japnese word "Origami" was more commonly used as a benediction of certification or a "diploma". 2. The modern imperative to use one square, only folding, was also a direct influence from Kindergarten. Froebel chose only those models that could be foldable from a single uncut square. Back then there were a small number of such models and not all were Japanese in origin. The Pajarita and other such "Windmill Base" models are representied in his curriculum. Froebel's reasons for the single square, no cuts, suited the values of his learning imperative, that of creative manipulations discoverable within constraints. Froebel's origami unit was, I believe, the 18th "Gift". Each Gift was a prescribed activity that paired specific materials with creative manipulations. There was building with strings, blocks, sticks, slats, peas and toothpicks, paper cutting paper weaving... As Kindergarten flourished, materials were manufactured and packaged for use in the Gift exercises. Among these was the invention of what would become our modern pack of assorted solid color origami paper. Froebel's folding paper packs were 4-inches square, color on one side only. Why color on one side only? Because, like wallpaper and gift wrap, only one side showed when the project was complete. Why waste money and time coloring the other side? The unintended added advantage to one side being left white was that the front side vs. the back side could be easily distinguished during teaching and learning. Anyway, I hope that I have represented without error what Mr. Momotani told me all those years ago. Based upon his postulations, I am fond of telling people that creative "Origami" is not an ancient Japanese art. It is a modern, international art form. All the best, Michael LaFosse
