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Last updated 21/8/2024

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

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Analysis

A Box of 24 Paperfolds

A the start of the article Starr writes about a box of 24 paperfolds folded for him by a seven year old girl. 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.

The designs he mentions are: 'Four boats: The first two 'with which we have long been familar in this country', ie in the USA / Incense box / Balloon / Mailcarrier (also called postman) / Two cranes / Fox: 'here only represented by its head with pricked up ears' / Two irises / Two crows / Lotus /Mailsack (also called mail pouch) / Helmet / Cicada / Persimmon / Frog / Fish / Cake Dish / Sambo (also sanbo) / Dragon fly / Lantern - which is actually 25 designs not 24.

Later on in the article Starr says that all these designs can be found in the book 'shikaka origami dzukai'. An identification of the designs is attempted on the 'Skikaka Origami Dzukai' page.

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A Print by Ogata Gekko

The image of this print in the article is not of sufficient quality for the details of the paperfolds to be discerned. I am indebted to David Humphries of http://www.ogatagekko.net/ for providing me with a higher resolution image. He says 'this print is part of a small format album titled Nihon Jo Reikshiki (loosely Etiquette for young Women). The album itself was published by Matsuki Heikichi in 1898. This album was presented in "Dai San-kai Naikoku Kangyo Hakuran-kai" (the 3rd Trade Exposition in Japan) and received the excellence award for the specialty item art printings.'

More information about the paperfolds found in this picture can be found on the page about Paperfolding in the Prints of Ogata Gekko.

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The Kan No Mado ms

Starr explains how he was shown, and allowed to have copied, the Kan No Mado ms.

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Etiquettical paperfolding - Tsutsumi

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Etiquettical paperfolding - Ocho and Mecho

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Recreational paperfolding

'my old book' is the Kan No Mado

I do not think the sentence 'Among the forms for which directions are here given are several old friends' should be read as indicating that the designs mentioned earlier in the article were necessarily folded by the same method, only that the subjects were the same.

Starr describes the contents of the Kan No Mado at greater length, particularly mentioning the Fukusuke figure.

(Note that where the Brossman translation of the Kan No Mado mentions 'peacock, praying mantis, lily of the valley, globe fish and fox wedding' Starr gives 'peacock, puffed-sparrow, fox-wedding etc'. I do not know which translation is to be preferred.)

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Broadside sheets

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A book called 'shikaka origami dzukai'

Starr mentions a book called 'shikaka origami dzukai' (paperfolding explained with figures) which he says contains instructions for 40 designs, including those given to him by the 7 year old girl (see list above).

The additional designs mentioned here are: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.

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A book 'shinkufu mon kata kiriyo'

Starr also refers to a book 'shinkufu mon kata kiriyo' about the folding and cutting of mon. I cannot find any other trace of this book.

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The article in full

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