Japanese Origami Butterflies and Cranes: The Art of Paper Folding Monica Bujas ID# 1000299660 Professor: E. Parke FAH392: Visual Cultures of Contemporary East Asia Throughout the evolution of origami art history, since the discovery of paper in China, folding became an influence that dominates cultural significance within Japanese practices. Paper, a medium that was so simple yet, when manipulated, the form became a complex symbolic innovation. Every fold was conducted on mathematical formulation that impacted the ideological representations of geometric folds echoing the narrative in gestures that the artist pursued in construction of the origami. This shared the craft of folding to penetrate different ways within the Japanese …show more content…
Historically, paper invention derived from China and was further developed in Japan. The process of folding origami creations became documented as early as the 1900. First discovered by a French mathematician Jacques Justin who pondered upon exploring mathematical innovations of creating structured forms. Who intrigued one of the greatest origami masters, Akira Yoshizawa who was a successor that builds upon advancing origami by exploring new innovations in using geometric folding to create symbolic icons that influenced the expansion of the popular practice of origami known throughout the world today. Impacting mathematical methods in folding paper into symbolic forms. A correlation was enforced between the past and mathematical relations in folding paper into abstract forms that represented known …show more content…
Both types of animals are symbolic representations reflecting an assumption that all visual productions has a historical contextual meaning. The Butterfly, a flawless, small gentle creature that can be encountered still today connotes relevance to Japanese weddings. Ceremonies where a male and female bind their love as a sacred connection in becoming one as a couple is symbolized. The practice of incorporating white paper folded butterflies into Japanese weddings begun early in 1680. A record of the oldest unequivocal a short poem by Ihara Saikaku, called Rosei-ga yumo-no cho-wa orisue enforced the significance of butterflies used to wrap sake bottle at a wedding ceremony. Suggesting the used of the craft in Japanese practice evoked the signified symbolism. Where a dream mimics beautiful butterflies by the folding of origami, modeling a symbolic representations on a male and female known as mecho and ocho. With modifications of two butterfly forms suggesting a pair tied with string binding one another together presented as the lid covering. The evolved form flare when opening the bottle from the wrap portraying the beginning of a new life for the two newly weds. Tomikinson, a scholar, explored another reveling connection that the butterfly signaled an association with young women emerging into life and later escaping the body after death.