Main Index Page

Last updated 4/3/2025

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This page is based on a copy of the work gifted to Robert Harbin by Ligia Montoya and currently held in the library of the British Origami Society, who have kindly allowed me access to it.

The date of the second edition, and whether it contained additional material, is not known. The bibliography in Papirolas - Volume 2 by Vicente Solorzano Sagredo gives the date of the 2nd edition as 1936, although since the third edition was published in 1932 (see below) this appears to be an error.

The 1932 third edition was expanded by the addition of extra chapters (earlier chapters may also have been amended).

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The third edition is mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding':

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The work mainly consists of descriptions and illustrations showing how to create paper and cardboard models made using paperfolding, cut and fold and cardboard modelling techiniques, and an analysis of their mathematical properties, although there are sections on other subjects, notably a chapter on colours, one on weaving and another on pricking. Only the designs made by pure paperfolding and cut and fold techniques have been included in the Analysis.

The author quotes extensively from Otto Salomon in his 'Generalides', and it is clear that the choice of designs for the work has been heavily influenced by the precept that manual work in schools should produce useful items. This should therefore probably be considered a work of Paper Sloyd rather than a Froebelian manual. Where Froebelian designs do appear they are used to decorate useful items such as containers.

A full copy of the work can be found at the foot of this page.

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Analysis

Pure paperfolding designs

p11. Construccion del cubo de naipes con seis rectangulos - The Playing Card Cube

The text says that several cubes can be linked together using the external flaps or covered with other cards to create a smooth external surface.

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p17. Caja Prismatica (and sleeve) - The Patisserie Box

Folded from a square

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p18. Canastilla prismatica con aro de broches - The Junk Box (turned into a basket)

(This is a very complicated method of making this simple box.)

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p51. Hexagonal Star - The Woven Star of David

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Threadable Decorations (modular)

p54 - Overlapping square from two 3x1 rectangles

(through which a ribbon may pass in one direction only)

and

Double overlapping square from four 3x1 rectangles

(through which a ribbon may pass in both directions)

These pictures show how single and double overlapping squares, paper ribbons (strips) and 'dihedral angles' (ie cube corners made from a square by means of a slit) can be combined to create baskets and bowls.

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Triangular Decoration

p56 - Woven decoration from an equilateral triangle

The text says, roughly translated: 'The resulting design has the disadvantage ... of not being able to be linked, but it is widely used as an ornament on baskets, boxes, pictures etc., as we will see later.'

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Playing Card Squares

p57. Connecting squares and oblongs

Derived from the cladding system for the Playing Card Cube.

These pictures show how connercting squares and oblongs can be combined to create pot covers, napkin rings etc.

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Froebelian Folds of Beauty - Series 1 - Designs from the blintzed square

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Froebelian Folds of Beauty - Series 2 - Designs from the doubly blintzed square

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Image 227 does not really belong in this series and should be seen as a separate design in its own right

The Shell Decoration

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Square-Shaped Decorations

Series 3 - Designs from the windmill base

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Four Rhombi

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The Interlocking Star

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Canestilla - The Spanish Box

Made into a basket by adding a simple handle

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p86. Eight Squares (two-part modular design)

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p89. The Hexagonal Rosette

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p89 - Molinete de seis puntas - Six-Armed Rotor

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Designs folded from Strips

p75 The Pentagonal Knot

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p77. A hexagon woven from a strip

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p80 An octagon woven from a strip

Created by constructing a square in the centre.

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Paper Alphabets, Letters and Numbers

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Verschnuren

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Braiding

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The Witch's Ladder

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Paper Rosettes

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Mathematical Constructions

p13. How to divide a square into a 5x5 grid

This is part of the instructions for making the Caja Cubica

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p76 Constructing a pentagon using a folded template

The pentagon is constructed by transposing the angles of the folded template to a larger piece of paper.

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p76. Another method for constructing a regular pentagon from a square

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p77. Constructing a hexagon from an equilateral triangle

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p78. The Fold and One Cut Hexagon (from a square)

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p79. Constructing a hexagon from a rectangle

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p83. Another way of obtaining a hexagon from an equilateral triangle

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p80. An octagon constructed by folding a square in half

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p80. An octagon constructed by laying one square on top of another

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p81. An octagon constructed from a blintzed square

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p82. Another way of creating an octagon by folding up, then unfolding, a square

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p83 Obtaining a decagon from a pentagon

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p83. Obtaining a dodecagon from a hexagon

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p83. Obtaining a hexadecagon from an octagon

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Fold slit and fold designs

p90. Cut 4-pointed Star

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p90. Cut 5-pointed Star

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p87. Cut 6-pointed Star

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p87. Cut 8-pointed Star

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Cube Corner from a square (cut)

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Triangular Zigzag Corner from a square (cut)

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Square Zigzag Corner from a pentagon (cut)

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Rectangular Oblong Zigzag Plinth from an irregular hexagon

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Fold, Cut and Fold Boxes

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p9. Construction of a cube from a square

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p10. Construction of cuboids from rectangles

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p13. Caja Cubica (Cubic Box)

The box and its lid are made separately. This design is derived from The Catherine of Cleves Box.

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p14. Alternative lid

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p71. Caja japonesa

The instructions show how to construct a lid for the box in a similar way and how to twist the two together.

Square-shaped patterns can be used to decorate the box.

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Fold, Slit and Fold Octahedron

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Fold, Slit and Fold Icosahedron

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Ausschneiden und Aufkleben

See Plates XXV and XXVI below.

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Slit and Tab designs

p16. Prisma de broches - The Catherine of Cleves Box

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p22. The design can be varied to produce a cube.

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The Tab and Slit Paper Band / Napkin Ring

p20. Ring for holding loose sheets

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p20. Napkin Ring

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Cartouche - The Tab and Slit Spill Holder

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p21. Lampshade (6 pieces) and Pot Cover (3 pieces)

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The Work

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