Database: Origami

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The first concrete evidence of origami as we know it today is a decorative engraving of a crane motif on a kozuka (a small knife which decorate the scabbards of Japanese blades) that was made in the late 16th or early 17th century by the famous engraver Goto Eijo. This indicates that the basic form of modern Japanese origami, the folded paper crane, was already widely known by the 1600s.

Origami's origins date back to special techniques used in ancient times for ceremonial purposes, such as decorating shrines or wrapping gifts at the imperial court, particularly those developed for wrapping gifts as part of the Muromachi shogunate's formalities. Folding techniques for decorative purposes, like noshi (dried and laid abalone) and chô-hana-gata (butterfly on flower), are also used for gifts in Japan.

Origami is believed to have further developed during the Edo period, when paper was mass-produced and easily available. Inside an interior decoration book from the 18th century, there are classic origami designs like a crane, a boat, a man, and a balloon (which are also well known to Japanese children of today). It was during the same period that some people began to study the art of origami, and by the late 18th century, specialized origami books with advanced techniques were published.