The Glorious History of Origami
A servant of the China emperor suddenly felt that he could do more
with paper. He started with something that is popularly known as origami
today. But origami is a Japanese name. Paper folding spread to Japan in
the sixth century. It was considered as an elite occupation of the rich.
Well, it was just not a hobby then. People gave these folded papers as
gifts to show their appreciation or love for each other. Don’t shrink
your nose. Of course, there was a piece of meat or fish attached to it.
The papermaking costs were pretty high and so they never used paper the
way we do. (At least they didn’t use paper to dry their hands and even
clean glass mirrors!) The art of origami was a part of weddings too. It
was a way of wishing good luck to the newly wed couple.
The Japanese people never wasted anything. It is this unique
character which has turned them into a leading country even after being
bombed by the Americans. But coming back to origami, they made cute
models with scraps of paper. You may toss a useless piece of paper into
the paper basket but Japanese people would have made origami models with
it. The Japanese people treated origami not as a part of amusement but
as a part of their cultural heritage. Children in Japan had almost a
birthright to learn Origami. Soon books were released about this
ingenious form of art. Folding the paper into a form of a crane was
considered as a huge deal in Japan. If you have folded 1000 cranes (even
unknowingly) then you have hit the target! You can now wish for one
thing. It will be granted according to the Japanese belief. Don’t ask
for the credibility. It is an ancient belief of the Japanese people.
Don’t scar the heritage of Japan by raising questions on it.
The Moors of Africa when invaded Spain did one good thing. They
brought with them another form of origami. Here paper was used to create
geometric figures instead of animals. It was some kind of prohibition in
their religion to create animals out of paper. With the advent of trade
routes everything spread everywhere. Origami also spread to Europe and
United states.
Window on Midwinter and How to fold 1000 cranes are some of the
famous books published on Origami. Both these books were printed in
Japan. These books changed the face of origami. People started taking up
origami as a form of recreation. Japan found a new pastime.
Paper can be folded to create stunning forms. Don’t underestimate the
art. You will be surprised to know the utility of paper pieces. Everyone
cannot create this magic. So there are masters of this art too. Akira
Yoshizawa is one of the most renowned masters. Well, actually he is the
boss. He has been given the title of “father of modern origami”. He has
shown the world a new edge of origami. There are many other important
personalities in this field. Origami can be instilled in our daily lives
too. Paper cups, Paper cup dispensers, coffee paper cups were made under
his guidance. They are pretty popular these days. If you look around
yourself, you will find the utilities of origami in your daily
activities.
The world believes that origami will always be a part of our lives at
present and in future too. Maybe so the origami paper crane has been
chosen as the world peace symbol. It is a symbol of peace, nonviolence
and tolerance. With the help of an insignificant paper we, the people
have even spread the beautiful message of peace. Such is the expanse of
Origami! |
