Origami Heaven

A paperfolding paradise

The website of writer and paperfolding designer David Mitchell

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Kusudamas
 
Kusudama is a Japanese word that originally described a ball made of flowers or herbs. It has a very similar modern meaning in origami, first having been used to describe multi-piece designs made from individual origami flowers glued or sewn together into a ball, and then by logical extension to describe self-integrated modular designs of similar appearance.

Most of my modular balls tend to be abstractly geometric rather than organic in appearance ... but here are a few that can perhaps properly be described as kusudama. I would like to create more designs of this type.

Larger pictures of many of these designs can be found in the Gallery of Kusudamas.
 
 
 
  Name: Arcadia or Arcadia 90

Modules / Paper shape / Folding geometry: Made by adding 60 embellishments in the form of petals to a 30 module Matrix base. All modules from squares using standard folding geometry.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2015.

Reference: 372

Diagrams: Not yet available.
 
  Name: Kudos

Modules / Paper shape / Folding geometry: Made by adding 60 embellishments in the form of petals, from 2x1 rectangles using standard folding geometry, to a 30 module Sonobe 20-point Stubby Star base.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2013.

Reference: 350

Diagrams: Not yet available.
 
  Name: Q - a three layered kusudama.

Modules / Paper shape / Folding geometry: 18 modules from squares using standard folding geometry, in three layers of 6 modules each.

Designer / Date: David Mitchell, 2001.

Reference: 237

Diagrams: In Paper Crystals (2nd Edition) - Water Trade - ISBN 978-0-9534774-9-4.