Origami is the art of folding paper to form pretty patterns and designs. Read on to know more about where it comes from its significance and how it leaves a footprint in our world today.
What is Origami and where does it come from?
Although historians often associate this traditional craft with the Japanese culture, its roots are found in China and parts of Europe. It is made up of two words “ori” and “kami” that translated into “folding paper”. The earliest records of paper folding known as Zhezhi originates from medieval China as early as 202 AD. The secret of papermaking traveled to Japan through Buddhist monks from China in the 6th century. The art of Origami was considered a luxury available only to the wealthy due to the exorbitant price of paper. It was purely used only for ceremonial purposes during weddings, funerals, or as gifts to samurais.
What is Zhezhi and how is it different from Origami?
The first origins of the paper-making process were documented in China during the 8th century by diluting cotton and linen fiber. However, the oldest record of paper can be dated back to the Han Dynasty in 105 AD where the Chinese pulped the bark of the trees and added fishing nets or hemp rags to the mixture. It was the perfect solution to the expensive silk and the heavy bamboo trunk they previously used to write on.
Paper also gained cultural significance in China where it was used as currency for the deceased during their journey to the Underworld. It was folded to resemble gold nuggets as an economically viable solution to burn during the cremation ceremony.
The main difference between Zhezhi and its Japanese counterpart is that the Chinese used to fold paper into inanimate objects, while Origami is based on living objects such as flowers, birds such as the crane, animals and insects like butterflies.
What is the significance of the Origami crane?
