Origami is the Japanese art of folding paper and creating designs. Generally, a square paper is used, on which small different folds are made to create cranes, animals, birds, boxes, and boats. Earlier, these were made without cutting the paper. However, cutting has now been combined with folding of the paper, in a type of origami variation known as Kingami. The art of origami started gaining popularity in the sixties.
Different types of papers are used to create the art of origami. A solid color paper which includes washi, tissue paper, and double-sided paper is used for creating these intricate designs. Bokashi paper is made with graduated color and has multiple shadings that are consistent and move from corner to corner, or center to edge. Chiyogami or Yuzen is a silk-screened washi used for making kimonos for paper dolls. This type of paper was developed toward the end of the eighteenth century. Similar to wooden block prints, it weighed around 70 grams per square meter. The Chiyogami incorporated elements of happiness, good fortune, and long life that were printed on it. Nowadays, numerous other patterns are available in this type of paper. Manufacturers also make Chiyogami using different materials to provide cheaper options to customers. Another paper, Katzome-shi, is stencil dyed and based on the kimono printing discipline.
Apart from the square paper, circular, rectangular and even multiple ones are used in the art of origami. Fabrigami is another variant of origami done by using fabrics. Different types of fabric such as the cotton broadcloth may be used. |
