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Last updated 21/8/2024

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'Shikaka Origami Dzukai' is mentioned in 'The Art of Paper Folding in Japan', a magazine article written by Frederick Starr and published in the issue of the tourist magazine 'Japan' for October 1922.

Starr writes about a box of 24 paperfolds folded for him by a seven year old girl. The list of designs is interesting because of its early date.

Starr mentions a photograph of the designs but unfortunately this was not included when the article was printed. The lack of illustrations means that identification of the designs is necessarily uncertain.

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Later on in the article Starr says that all the designs can be found in the book 'shikaka origami dzukai' but also mentions some additional designs - Watch / Post-card Case / Gunboat / The old Fukusuke.

The sentence: 'But, no, the plan will not work; our final cut begins with the sixth stage and we only have the final steps' does not make sense to me.

Starr then mentions that 'shikaka origami dzukai' also comes with a 'model-book' made up of 'sheets to be torn out' which are 'marked with fold-lines and directions'. I have not been able to find any other record of this second book.

I have not seen a copy of this work.

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This work is also mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding' which was published in 1952.

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Analysis

The designs mentioned in Starr's article are:

Four boats: The first two 'with which we have long been familar in this country', ie in the USA, are probably the Paper Boat and the Boat with Sail. The 'fishing boat with a long projecting prow' is probably the Chinese Junk. The other cannot be identified.

Incense box: Unidentifiable

Balloon: Probably the Waterbomb

Mailcarrier (also called postman): Probably the Postman

Two cranes: One probably the Paper Crane, the other unidentifiable

Fox: 'here only represented by its head with pricked up ears' so probably the Fox Face

Two irises: Unidentifiable

Two Crows: Unidentifiable

Lotus: Probably the Lotus

Mailsack (also called mail pouch): Unidentifiable

Helmet: Probably the Kabuto

Cicada: Probably a variant of the Cicada

Persimmon: Probably the Tachibana

Frog: Probably the Blow-up Frog

Fish: Unidentifiable

Cake Dish: Unidentifiable

Sambo (also sanbo): Probably the Sanbo

Dragon fly: Unidentifiable

Lantern: Probably the Long Lantern

This makes 25 designs, so perhaps one of the designs mentioned twice in the list (ie cranes, crows or irises) has been duplicated.

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