The Public Paperfolding History Project

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The 1885 engraving of the Flapping Bird

   These Topic Pages are being used to collect information relating to aspects of paperfolding history and are, in effect, my personal notes. Because of the difficulty of keeping up with new discoveries as they are made, and remembering to update every relevant page on every occasion that new information comes to light, these notes should be viewed more as a starting point for further research than a definitive statement of everything that is known. You are welcome to check with me as to the likely completeness or otherwise of a Topic Page you are interested in.

Topic Pages also act as Indexes to the Public Paperfolding History Project as a whole. My intention is that these pages will eventually form a complete analysis of paperfolding, although some pages may only exist as place markers, or may not be fully populated, at the present time. Every page is a work in progress.

Topic Pages are arranged under the following sub-headings, from top to bottom of the page:

Top Level Topic Pages

Second Level Topic Pages

Third Level Topic Pages

Fourth Level Topic Pages - Categories of Design

Fourth Level Topic Pages - Folding Techniques

Fourth Level Topic Pages - Applications

Fourth Level Topic Pages - Miscellaneous

Groundforms / Bases

Designs from Standard Bases / Groundforms / Basic Folds / Paper Shapes

Paperfolding Ideas / Practices

Paperfolding in Japan

Paperfolding in China

Paperfolding in Europe, the Americas and the Antipodes

Froebelian Paperfolding

Flat Geometric Designs and Decorations

How to Construct Polygons by Folding Paper

How to Construct Polyhedra by Folding Paper

Other Mathematical Paperfolds

Flexagons and Some Other Related Flexible Objects

Everyday Practical Paperfolding

Designs for Inanimate Objects

Designs for Living Things
 
 
 
Top Level Topic Pages
 
 
 
 
Designs from Paper Strips
 
 
 
  Braiding     Designs Woven from Folded Strips (ie Free Weaving)     Verschnuren
 
 
 
Designs from Compact Paper Shapes
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Categories of Design
 
  Geometric Forms     Useful Objects     Games
                     
  Decorative Forms     Toys and Playthings     Entertainments
                     
  Representational Forms     Puzzles     Magical Effects
 
 
 
Folding Techniques
 
 
 
 
Fourth Level Topic Pages - Paperfolding Applications
 
 
 
 
Fourth Level Topic Pages - Miscellaneous
 
  Active Play Designs     Three-Dimensional Single-Sheet Geometric Ornaments and Decorations     Using Paper Moulds to Pleat Fabric
                     
  Constructing Angles by Folding Paper     Flexagons and other Flexible Objects     Constructing Polygons by Folding Paper (needs revising)
                     
  Bat Books     Handkerchief Folding     Polyhedra Constructed from Irregular Nets
                     
  Book, Catalogue and Magazine Folding     Designs which Move under Insect Power     Mathematical Paperfolding Puzzles
                     
  Paper Books and Folding Pages     Paper Prisons for Insects     Paperfolding Puzzles
                     
  Compound Representational Designs     Stunts, Entertainments and Magical Effects     Air / Breath Driven Rotating Designs
                     
  Fold and Cut / Fold, Cut and Fold Animals and Human Figures (incomplete)     Mobiles made using origami figures     See-Through Designs
                     
  Fold, Cut and Fold Chevron Designs     Money Folding / Dollar Bill Folding     Designs Woven from Straw
                     
  Fold and Cut Friezes (incomplete)     Noise Making Designs     Paperfolding as a Means of Teaching Sewing Techniques
                     
  Fold and Cut Paper Flowers     Fold and One Cut Designs     Paper Sloyd
                     
  Flapping Birds     Paper Packets and Packaging (incomplete)     Paper Tearing (as an entertainment)
                     
  Flying Objects     Pattern Drawing Puzzles Solved by Folding Paper     Walking Designs
                     
  Formal and Ceremonial Paperfolding     Designs from Playing Cards     Water Absorbing Designs
                     
  Form Study            
 
 
 
Groundforms / Bases
 
  The Waterbomb Base     The Windmill Base     The Bird Base
                     
  The Double Blintz Basic Form     The Blintzed Windmill Base     The Frog Base
                     
  The Triple Blintz Basic Form     Koehler's Groundform     The Fish Base
 
 
 
Designs from Standard Bases / Groundforms / Basic Folds / Paper Shapes
 
(Note that this section of the site is 'in process' at present.)
 
  Designs developed from the Double Blintz Basic Form     Designs developed from the Preliminary Fold     Designs developed from the Bird Base
                     
  Designs developed from Koehler's Groundform aka The Double Bookfold Basic Form     Designs developed from the Fish Base     Designs developed from the Pig Base
                     
  Designs developed from the Triple Blintz Basic Form     Designs developed from the Windmill Base     Designs developed from the House
                     
  Designs developed from the Waterbomb Base     Designs developed from the Blintzed Windmill Base     Designs based on a 3x3 Grid
                     
              Designs based on a 5x5 Grid
 
 
 
Paperfolding Ideas / Practices
 
  Bases     Metallic Foil as a Folding Material     Wetfolding
                     
  Diagramming techniques     Pure Origami      
                     
  The Concept of Elegance     Squarism      
 
 
 
Paperfolding in Japan
 
  Forms of Beauty (in Japanese publications)     Japanese Knotted Letters     Sake Bottle Covers and Decorations
                     
  Collages made using Folded Circles     Kusudama     Shide / Japanese Sacred Cut and Fold Paper Streamers
                     
  Connected Cranes     Noshi     Designs folded from Slit Bases
                     
  Strings of Cranes     Ocho and Mecho     Paper String
                     
  Fold and Cut Family Crests / Mon     Orikawari-e / Japanese Fold-in Prints     Tsutsumi - General
                     
  Paperfolding in Elementary Schools in Japan (in process)     The word 'Origami'     Tsutsumi - Closed Wrappers
                     
  Japanese Folded Letters     Japanese Transformable Picture Forms     Tsutsumi - Closed Wrappers with Integral Noshi
                     
  Kaishi     Chronology of Early Japanese Representative Designs (in process)     Tsutsumi - Open Wrappers
                     
  Paperfolding in the Kindergarten in Japan            
 
 
 
Paperfolding in China
 
Chinese Paperfolding - An Overview
 
  Folded Paper Armour     Chinese Paper Fans     Chinese Multiple Layer Collapsible Boxes (Zhen Xian Bao) (in process)
                     
  Chinese Books and Bindings     Chinese Modular Origami / 3D Origami / Golden Venture Origami     Folding Paper Umbrellas
                     
  Chinese Symmetrical Fold and Cut Designs (in process)     The Insect Cage     Chinese Wrapping and Containers (Early Instances)
                     
        Chinese Letter Folds (in process)     Folded Paper Yuan Bao / Sycee
 
 
 
Paperfolding in Europe, the Americas and the Antipodes
 
The pages in this section are in the very early stages of construction at present
 
  Paperfolding in Argentina     Paperfolding in England     Paperfolding in Portugal
                     
  Paperfolding in Australia     Paperfolding in France     Paperfolding in Russia
                     
  Paperfolding in Austria     Paperfolding in Germany     Paperfolding in Spain
                     
  Paperfolding in Belgium     Paperfolding in in Italy     Paperfolding in Switzerland
                     
  Paperfolding in Canada     Paperfolding in the Netherlands     Paperfolding in the USA
                     
  Paperfolding in Denmark     Paperfolding in New Zealand      
 
 
 
Froebelian Paperfolding
 
General
 
 
Paperfolding Occupations
 
  Fold, Cut and Fold Animals     Falten - Lebensformen (Folds of Life)     Pleated Letters and Numbers (from compact paper shapes)
                     
  Ausschneiden und Aufkleben (Cutting Out and Mounting)     Falten - Lebensformen - Simple Folds of Life     Pappen - Boxes and Other Containers
                     
  Bilaterally Symmetric Representational Fold and Cut Designs     Falten - Schonheitsformen (Folds of Beauty)     Pappen - Polyhedra
                     
  Borders and Corners (from single strips)     Falten - Designs from Oblongs (which are not Lebensformen) (in process)     Pappen - Representational Designs
                     
  Fold, Slit and Fold Boxes and Other Useful Items     Falten - Combinations of Schonheitsformen     Pappen - Other Useful Objects
                     
  Braiding (from connected strips     Falten - Combinations of Lebensformen (in process)     Designs made from Folded Playing Cards
                     
  Braiding (from two or more separate strips)     Falten - Combinations of Geometric Folds     Fold and Cut Polygons (in process)
                     
  Fold, Slit and Fold Chevron Designs (aka Bookmarks)     Flechten - Frame Weaving     Designs made from Rolled Paper Strips
                     
  Combinations of Schonnheitsforman and Ausschneiden und Aufklaben     Free Weaving (of folded paper strips)     Cutting Tiles from Folded Grids and Using Them to Form Patterns
                     
  Using Crease Patterns as the basis of Colouring and Drawing Exercises     Fold and Cut Friezes (from paper strips)     Verschnuren (Interlacing Paper Strips)
                     
  Falten - Erkenntnissformen (Folds of Knowledge) and Geometric Folds     Flat Letters and Numbers (from paper strips)      
 
 
 
Flat Geometric Patterns and Decorations
 
 
 
 
How to Construct Polygons by Folding Paper
 
Excluding the Construction of Polyhedra from Irregular Nets
 
  How to Construct Squares from Oblongs     How to Construct the Regular Nonagon     How to Construct Three-Pointed Stars
                     
  How to Construct the Equilateral Triangle     How to Construct the Regular Decagon     How to Construct Four-Pointed Stars
                     
  How to Construct the Regular Pentagon     How to Construct the Regular Dodecagon     How to Construct Five-Pointed Stars
                     
  How to Construct the Regular Hexagon     How to Construct the Regular Hexadecagon     How to Construct Six-Pointed Stars
                     
  How to Construct the Regular Heptagon     How to Construct Rhombi     How to Construct Eight-Pointed Stars
                     
  How to Construct the Regular Octagon     How to Construct Crosses     Constructing Polygons using Knots folded from Paper Strips
 
 
 
How to Construct Polyhedra by Folding Paper
 
  Cubes and Cuboids     Octahedra     Other Polyhedra
                     
  Dodecahedra     Prisms      
                     
  Icosahedra     Pyramids (including Tetrahedra)     Constructing Polyhedra by Folding Paper
 
 
 
Other Mathematical Paperfolds
 
 
 
 
Flexagons and Some Other Related Flexible Objects
 
  Flexagons (overview)     Silverflexagons     Cherchez la Femme / The Trick Book
                     
  Hexaflexagons     Bronzeflexagons     The Flexatube
                     
  Tetraflexagons     Black Holes      
 
 
 
Everyday Practical Paperfolding
 
 
 
 
Designs for Inanimate Objects
 
  Alphabets, Letters and Numbers     Fold-Outs (incomplete)     Paper Pipes
                     
  Paper Bags     Footwear     Paper Pistols
                     
  Paper Balls     Furniture     Paper Planes and Other Gliding Objects
                     
  Baskets     Paper Bands, Chains and Garlands     Multiple-Image Pleated Paper Pictures / Falzbilder / Tabulae Striatae
                     
  Beads     Globus Gores     Cut and Fold Polygonal Packets
                     
  Boats and Ships     Hats and Caps     Paper Poulets
                     
  Bookmarks     Hearts     Paper Prams
                     
  Bow Ties     Jewellery / Rings     Purses / Bags / Wallets / Card Holders (incomplete)
                     
  Boxes, Bowls and Other Containers     Knots folded from Paper Strips     Sedan Chairs / Kagos / Palanquins
                     
  2D representations of Buildings and Structures     Pleated Paper Lampshades     Space Vehicles
                     
  3D representations of Buildings, Other Structures and Architectural Elements     Landscapes     Spools / Yarn Holders
                     
  Card Castles / Houses of Cards / Chateaux de Cartes / Playing Card Skittles     Lamps / Lanterns / Lanthorns     Symmetrical Inkblots / Klecksography / The Rorschach Test
                     
  Card Castles and Cocottes     Lover's Knots     Tents
                     
  Paper Cartridges     Masks     Tools and Household Equipment
                     
  Clothing / Shoes / Personal Accessories     Metamorphoses / Harlequinades     Transport and Vehicles
                     
  Codes revealed by Folding     Mitres of Infamy     Umbrellas and Parasols
                     
  Corporals     Musical Instruments (non-playing)     Valentines, Proposals and Love Tokens
                     
  Crowns     One Way Trays     The Folding of Visiting / Calling Cards
                     
  Paper Cups     Paperclips     Write and Fold Games / Draw and Fold Games / Le Cadavre Exquis
                     
  Paper Darts and Flights     Paper Parachutes     Wall Mounted Designs (incomplete)
                     
  Desk Furniture     Folded Patenbriefs / Taufbriefs / Godparent Letters     Waterwheels
                     
  Pleated Paper Fans / Firescreens     Picture Frames     Windmills and Rotors
 
 
 
Designs for Living Things
 
  Angels     Fish     Octopii
                     
  Badgers     Plants, Flowers and Seeds (incomplete)     Ostriches and Emus
                     
  Bats     Foxes / Raccoon Dogs     Parrots, Parakeets and Macaws
                     
  Bears     Fukusuke     Peacocks and Peahens
                     
  Birds     Frogs, Toads and Tadpoles     Pelicans
                     
  Bulls and Cows     Ghosts     Penguins
                     
  Butterflies and Moths     Giraffes     Pheasants
                     
  Camels     Goats     Pigs and Boars
                     
  Cats     Hens, Chickens, Chicks and Roosters.     Creatures with Pleated Wings / Tail
                     
  Cicadas     Hina Dolls / Emperor and Empress Figures     Rabbits and Hares
                     
  Crabs     Hippopotamii     Rhinocerii
                     
  Cranes, Storks and Herons (modelled in a standing pose)     Horses     Father Christmas / Santa Claus
                     
  Cranes, Storks and Herons (modelled in a flying pose)     Human Faces     Sealife and Shellfish
                     
  Cranes, Storks and Herons (modelled in a seated pose)     Human Figures (incomplete)     Seals / Sealions
                     
  Crane and Tortoise Designs     Hyenas     Sheep
                     
  Crocodiles and Alligators     Insects     Snails
                     
  Deer     Kangaroos     Spiders
                     
  Dinosaurs and other Prehistoric Creatures     Leaves     Tigers
                     
  Dogs     Lions     Trees
                     
  Dragonflies     Lizards     Turtles / Tortoises
                     
  Dragons     Lobsters     Water Buffaloes
                     
  Ducks, Swans and Geese     Mice and Rats     Whales
                     
  Eagles and Hawks     Monkeys and Apes     Wolves
                     
  Elephants     Mythical and Invented Creatures     Zebras