The Public Paperfolding History Project

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Last updated 31/1/2024

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Butterflies, Moths and Coccoons
 
This page is being used to collect information about the history of folded paper butterflies, moths and coccoons. Please contact me if you know any of this information is incorrect or if you have any other information that should be added. Thank you.

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1896

Part 2 of 'The Republic of Childhood', titled 'Froebel's Occupations', by Kate Douglas Wiggin and Nora Archibald Smith, which was published by Houghton, Mifflin and Company, of Boston and New York in 1896, contains reference to 'a coccoon' folded from an equilateral triangle among specimens of work from the Empress's kindergarten in Tokyo.

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1900

A design for a butterfly, which is developed from the Double Hulled Boat by pulling out the internal flaps, appears in 'Die Frobelschen Beschaftigungen: Das Falten' by Marie Muller-Wunderlich, which was published by Friedrich Brandstetter in Leipzig in 1900.

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1910

'Die Frobelschen Beschaftigungen' by Marie Muller-Wunderlich was published by Friedrich Brandstetter in Leipzig in four parts in 1910, contains a picture of a pleated butterfly. I do not know how this design is made.

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1931

A design for a Single Sheet Pleated Butterfly appears in 'Origami (Part 1)' by Isao Honda, which was published in Japan in 1931.

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The Flapping Butterfly - 1932 onwards

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1935

'Origami Moyo, Book One', by Kawarazaki Kodo, which was published by Unsodo in Japan in 1935, contains several prints showing various designs for butterflies.

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1937

A design for a Two Sheet Pleated Butterfly appears in 'Paper Toy Making' by Margaret Campbell, which was first published by Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd in London, probably in 1937, although both the Foreword and Preface are dated 1936, which argues that the book was complete at that date.

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1964

The 1964 Rupert Annual contains instructions for making Yoshizawa's Butterfly under the title 'A Paper Butterfly'. Akira Yoshizawa's authorship of the design is acknowledged.

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1965

Another design for a butterfly appears in 'The World of Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in the USA by Japan Publications Trading Company in 1965.

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