How to make an origami cat – videos, sketches and origin
Here is how to make an origami cat in 3 videos. I do not think that it is sensible to describe how to make an origami cat in words because the videos are so much better. It would be a waste of time. Therefore, in order to write an article about making an origami cat I am obliged to discuss briefly the origin of origami which I have done below the videos. Origami is a pastime for dextrous, creative and patient people. It does not surprise me that the art form originated in Japan (probably). They are very precise manufacturers. They demand high quality and are a dextrous, precise race. Perhaps the highest quality goods come from Japan.
Videos
Note: These are videos from another website which are embedded here. Sometimes they are deleted at source which stops them working on this site. If that has happened, I apologise but I have no control over it.
Brief history
My Internet research indicates that the first works of original modern origami in the 1950s are those of Yoshizawa Akira (a Japanese origamist, considered to be the grandmaster of origami). The Arab world was making origami in the eighth century and the Moors brought origami to Spain in the 12th century.
Akira Yoshizawa. Grandmaster of origami. Photo: Wikipedia.
It seems to be unclear whether origami started in Japan or China. Many people believe that it began in Japan but its roots may well be in China. Perhaps origami started with the folding of other materials such as cloth or leather.
In Europe there was napkin folding and cloth pleating. Paper folding followed the discovery of papermaking. Paper was invented in China perhaps 🤞.
Information about origami before the 15th century doesn’t exist according to Britannica.
The blog of the British Museum tells us that origami is an ancient Japanese art. Therefore, they state that its origins are in Japan. Incidentally, origami comes from ori meaning ‘folding’, and kami meaning ‘paper’.
Paper was brought to Japan at around 500 A.D. by Buddhist monks. At first paper folding was used in religious ceremonies. At that time paper was expensive. Most people could not afford it. Origami was also used for wedding ceremonies to create paper butterflies.
Play-origami was used in Japan by the 1600s. It spread to Europe.
Two sets of instructions
It seems to me that it is almost impossible to explain how to create an origami cat through diagrams. Once again videos must be the best by far way to explain how to do it. Although in the interest of completeness I have taken the liberty of reproducing to instructional diagrams on how to create an origami cat below. I would not expect people to understand these easily if at all 😢. Or perhaps I am being too negative. I have published them here to make a point: video instructions are the best and only way to learn how to create an origami cat.
Origami ‘Cat napping’. Credit: see image.
Hand sketched instructions for an origami cat by AF Barbour.
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