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Last updated 26/1/2024

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Crabs

In Japan (and in books by Japanese authors)

1841

This Japanese print from 1841 shows three women, or perhaps children at play. The figure at bottom right is folding paper. A completed Paper Crane and what appear to be a Sanbo on Legs and a Crab lie on the floor. Source: 'Oru Kokoro' - Catalogue of an exhibition on paperfolding history held in Tatsuno City History and Culture Museum in 1999.

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1845

There is a design for a Crab made from a square partially divided into four smaller squares by cuts in the Kan No Mado, which is usually dated to 1845.

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1878

An illustration of a folded crab also appears in 'Yochien Ombutsu No Zu', a publication of kindergarten material issued by the Tokyo Women's Normal School in 1878.

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1892

A cut design for a crab appears in 'Kani Shukogaku' (Simple Handicraft) by Tamotsu Shibue, which was published in Tokyo in 1892. Note that this design was interpreted as a raccoon dog in 'Kindergarten Shoho'.

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1893

Diagrams for a crab from a cut base appeared in 1893 in volume 5 issue 2 of Shokokumin children's magazine.

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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 'an absolutely lifelike crab' among specimens of work from the Empress's kindergarten in Tokyo.

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1931

Diagrams for a design similar to the crab from the Kan No Mado appear in 'Origami (Part 1)' by Isao Honda, which was first published in Japan in 1931.

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1935

'Origami Moyo, Book One', by Kawarazaki Kodo, which was published by Unsodo in Japan in 1935, contained a print showing a crab.

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1968

A 3-part compound cut crab appears in 'Origami in the Classroom: Book 2: Activities for winter through summer' by Chiyo Araki, which was published by Charles E Tuttle Co Inc in 1968.

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In Western Europe and the Americas

1889

'La Nature' of 28th September 1889 contained an article headed 'Recreation Scientifiques' and subheaded 'La Grenouille Japonaise en Papier' (The Japanese Paper Frog) which mentions the Paris Exposition of 1889 and states (here in translation) 'We also noticed in the exhibition other designs among which were the crab from red paper, the junk and the hat of Daimios (demon), the parrot etc.,'.

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1900

Diagrams for a crab from a cut frog base appear in the French children's magazine 'Mon Journal', probably in 1900, although I have not been able to identify the exact date of the article.

The introduction states, roughly, 'Today we continue our Japanese folds, and we are going to show you how to make a crab. Madame Kawada, of whom I have already spoken, with a paper four centimetres square can easily make a tiny one centimetre crab; it is enough to tell you that, with a little patience, and by taking a sufficiently large paper you will arrive at a good result.'

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1908

The same design appears in 'Les Petits Secrets Amusants' by Alber-Graves, which was published by Librairie Hachette in Paris in 1908.

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1931

'La Nature' of 8th January 1931 contained an article headed 'Les Pliages de Papier' and subheaded 'Le Crabe'.

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1932

A crab made from a frog base (the legs are separated using cuts) appears in Booklet 4 of 'Images a Plier', a series of 6 booklets published by Librairie Larousse in Paris in 1932.

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1939

'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939, contains diagrams for a crab, 'El cangrejo del mar' which is essentially similar to the design in 'Images de Plier'.

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Lobsters

1845

There is a design for a Lobster made from a square partially divided into four smaller squares by cuts in the Kan No Mado, which is usually dated to 1845.

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