Origami History Timeline

Paper doesn’t last forever. A strength and a weakness. When artifacts of clay and metal have been lost to history, paper artifacts contributing into historical record are almost negligible. This is what makes charting a history of origami challenging.

The timeline of paper folding and origami is only charted by mentions of it and visual references to it, rather than actual specimens of paper folding. Though it did not develop in any strictly linear or singular way, the origami historic timeline is still a fascinating thread (web?) to follow.

Eras of Origami History

While records about origami, especially in its early development, are almost non-existent, for better understanding the way it has been practiced over the centuries, we can divide paper-folding’s history into several eras or phases:

  1. Before Paper – BCE
  2. Ancient Foundations – 1–1000 CE
  3. Ceremonial Folding Era – 1000–1600
  4. Edo Period to Early Modern – 1600–1868
  5. Globalization and Education – 1868–1950
  6. Modern, Computational, Artistic Origami – 1950-1999
  7. Origami in the New Millennium – 2000-present

* Much of the history of Origami is conjencture and educated guesses from documents, symbols on artifacts and correlations to other things we know about those eras. Like all history, it is a story, it is sometimes self-contradicting, and it is not always known to be irrefutable fact, unless we can fold ourselves a time machine!

Timeline of Origami History

Before Paper

Flexible, sheet-based materials like leather, fabric and non-woven plant fibre like papyrus exist and develop long before paper. They are put to many of the same uses, using similar techniques, as paper will adopt in time.

Animal Hide Folding

Early humans fold and scrape hides with stone tools, using folding for shelter, clothing, and possibly toolmaking

c. 50,000 BCE

Mehrgarh Leather Tanning

In Mehrgarh (modern Pakistan), residents tan hides for folding into containers, clothing, and tents.

c. 7000–3300 BCE

Pleated Textiles in Egypt

Egyptians are pleating and folding linen garments to produce elaborate folded patterns for status and ritual.

c. 4000 BCE

Leather Folding in Egypt & Sumer

Egyptians fold, shape, and stitch leather into harnesses for chariots, sandals, and burial items. Not too far away, Sumerians tan and fold leather for footwear, satchels, and ceremonial uses.

c. 3500–3000 BCE

Papyrus Map Folding

In Egypt, papyrus documents and maps are folded for storage and transport, a precursor to paper map folding.

c. 3000 BCE

Cloth Napkins in Rome/Greece

“Sudaria” and “mappae” (cloth napkins) used at Roman banquets, often folded for practical and status reasons; a proto-napkin etiquette developed. Greeks fold and drape fabrics in elaborate designs.

c. 1000 BCE

Early Greek World Maps

Anaximander and Hecataeus create circular parchment world maps, stored rolled or flat, not yet regularly folded.

6th–5th c. BCE

Roman Itineraria and Tabulae

Roman road maps are often made as strips or scrolls. Folding was rare but some itineraria used accordion folds.

2nd c. BCE–2nd c. CE

Han Dynasty & Silk Maps

In China, silk maps (Mawangdui, 2nd c. BCE) folded for portability.

3rd–9th c. CE

Ancient Foundations of Paper and Folding

Paper is invented and improved as the technology spreads through the Orient.

Earliest known paper fragment

Oldest ancient paper fragment found at the Fangmatan archaeological site, China. This find in 1986 pre-dates the date of paper’s invention as per Chinese tradition.

c. 179–14 BCE

Invention of Paper in
China

Papermaking formalized in Han dynasty China using mulberry bark and hemp. Cai Lun is credited with inventing paper.

c. 105 CE

Early Chinese paper folding

Decorative folded offerings created in Buddhist ceremonies by monks and artisans. These religious decorations and offering are the earliest known formal paper folding practice.

2nd–3rd Century CE

Spread of papermaking across Asia

Papermaking technology travels via the Silk Route to Korea and Central Asia, enabling folding traditions in East Asia and beyond.

4th–5th Century CE

Paper Introduced to
Japan

Buddhist monks bring papermaking and symbolic folding rituals from China. Early uses are ceremonial rather than recreational.

6th Century CE

Development of Japanese washi paper

Japanese refine the papermaking process using local mulberry, giving rise to high-quality durable washi.

7th Century CE

Emergence of ceremonial folding

Origata, ceremonial origami used in Shinto rituals and ceremonies among the nobility. It is used as decoration and paper wrappers (tsutsumi) for offerings.

8th Century CE

Ceremonial Paper Folding Era

Paper folding becomes a symbol of formality in Japanese rituals, both in Shinto traditions and noble etiquette.

Folding in court rituals

Paper used to wrap offerings, and paper folding is codified as part of etiquette manuals.

10th Century CE

Use of folded paper in Heian court gifting

Referred to as tatogami wrapping style

11th Century CE

Early samurai origami

Folding appears in samurai ceremonial helmet decorations and wedding exchanges.

12th Century CE

mass production of Paper begins in Japan

Expansion of paper mills makes paper accessible more broadly in the population. This expands paper folding beyond religious and aristocratic use.

13th Century CE

Chinese paper works influence Korea and Japan

Religious folded paper designs in East Asia influenced Japanese origami forms. Folded models seen in Buddhist and Taoist temples across East Asia.

14th Century CE

Origami in decorative arts

A kozuka (sword handle) made by Gotō Eijō was decorated with an origami crane image, suggesting recreational origami might have emerged by this era.

1500–1600 CE

Edo Period to Early Modern Paper Folding

Origami evolves beyond formal rituals into a leisure activity among the public, popularly known as orikata or orisue.

Beginning of Edo Period

Japan’s stability encourages exploration and growth of the arts, including paper folding.

1603

Origami popular among aristocracy

Origami became part of the cultural education of samurai and nobility, practiced as a refined art form signifying sophistication and discipline.

1650s

Ihara Saikaku references origami

Poet Ihara Saikaku’s mention of origami butterflies reflect the art’s cultural penetration in Edo-period society. This is the earliest known literary mention of origami in Japanese poetry.

1680

Publication of Ranma
Zushiki

A Japanese book of archtectural decorative patterns from the Edo period, it has a design that depicts an origami crane, a boat and other traditional models, marking origamiʼs growing familiarity in culture.

1747

Publication of Hiden Senbazuru Orikata

This oldest known origami manual, by Buddhist monk Gidō, contained 49 complex models, many involving connected cranes, exemplifying technical advancement of orgami designs.

1797

Publication of Kan no
Mado

An Edo manuscript containing several folding models, indicating origami’s spread among commoners and its increasing popularity as recreation.

1845

Globalization and Paper Folding in Education

With the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Japan opened up to the world and modernisation. Origami began to be integrated into education.

Friedrich Fröbel
introduces folding to
Europe

Folded paper used in early childhood
education promoting geometry
understanding by Friedrich Fröbel, inventor of Kindergarten.

1870s

Origami term formalized

The term “origami” replaced “orikata,” and “orisue,” establishing the modern vocabulary for paper folding arts in Japan.

1880

European origami development

Paper folding became a leisure and educational activity in Spain (papiroflexia) and Germany (papierfaltkunst), spreading worldwide thereafter.

1890s

publication of Geometric Exercises in Paper Folding

Indian mathematician T. Sundara Row published this book on the mathematics of paper folding.

1893

Origami included in Japanese schools

Origami was standardized in curricula to develop fine motor and cognitive skills among students.

1900

Birth of Akira Yoshizawa

Yoshizawa, the most influential origami artist of the 20th century, was born; future pioneer of instructional folding notation and sculptural wet folding.

1911

publication of Houdini’s Paper Magic

At the height of his international fame, magician, escape artist, failed film star and performer Harry Houdini published a book on paper tricks and crafts with an entire chapter on paper folding.

1922

Western origami
publications grow

Magazines and books published folding instructions, expanding global practice of origami.

1930s

Yoshizawa begins professional origami practice

Yoshizawa’s innovative works emphasized artistic freedom, breaking traditional restrictions.

1944

Modern, Computational & Artistic Paper Folding

Post World War II the spread of origami among enthusiasts expanded, gradually moving towards both serious artistic and serious scientific and mathematical developments and study.

First Origami
Society formed in Spain

The first known origami social group forms in Zaragoza, Spain; signals organized international origami communities.

1948

Yoshizawa gains
recognition For folding the 12 signs of the zodiac

IIzawa Tadasu, editor of the Japanese picture magazine “Asahi Graf” comissioned Akira Yoshizawa to design and fold the 12 signs of the Japenese Zodiac. His designs appear in the January, 1952 issue.

1951

Publication of Atarashii
Origami Geijutsu

Akira Yoshizawa publishes his first book, Atarashii Origami Geijutsu (New Origami Art), which introduces the system of notations for origami folding diagrams.

1954

Publication of Robert Harbinʼs Paper
Magic

Popular instructional book by magician and origami enthusiast expands awareness of the hobby.

1956

Origami Crane Becomes a Peace Symbol

After Sadako Sasaki’s death at the age of 12 in 1955, from exposure to the nuclear bomb as an infant, her friends started a national campaign to fold paper cranes, which Sadako was making before her death trying to reach a thousand for good luck. A Children’s Peace Monument was unveiled in the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park in this year. It features a statue of Sadako holding a golden crane.

1958

Lillian Oppenheimer starts The Origami Center

The New York Times published an article about Lillian Oppenheimer’s origami activities and in the same year she started infomal lessons in Ney Yourk city calling them ‘ establishes them “The Origami Center.”

1958

Yoshizawa Invents Wet Folding

The wet-folding technique involves dampened paper to allow more rounded, sculpted forms.

1950s

Yoshizawa-Randlett
folding notation

Samuel Randlett and Robert Harbin add to Yoshizawa’s folding notation system, and the Yoshizawa-Randlett system gets described in Samuel Randlett’s Art of Origami.

1961

British Origami Society founded

On 28 October, eleven people met in the Russel Hotel in London to form the BOS. The society became central to UK origami activity, publications and meetings. It was one of the first major Western origami societies. Robert Harbin was its first president.

1967

Publication of Creative Origami by Kunihiko Kasahara

First of many influential books by Japanese Origami master Kunihiko Kasahara, who furthered both new developments in the field and the study of classic models.

1967

Kuwana City designates cultural heritage Status to Renzuru

Kuwana designates the 49 renzuru (multiple, interlocking origami cranes) designs from Hiden Senbazuru Orikata as an Intangible Cultural Property. The practice is known as “Kuwana no Senbazuru” (The Thousand Cranes of Kuwana)

1976

The Friends of The Origami Center of America founded

Lillian Oppenheimer and her colleagues establish the non-profit The Friends of The Origami Center of America (precursor to OrigamiUSA). It strengthened Americaʼs origami community through exhibitions and education.

1980

Tomoko Fuse publishes her first Origami Book

Popular origami artists and designer Tomoko Fuse published her first book in this year. She has gone on to publish over 60 books and is considered an authority on modular origami and the design of origami boxes.

1981

Publication of Robert Lang’s The Complete Book of Origami

Lang pioneers geometric and
algorithmic design methods for folding. This, his first major book made his designs widely available and helped bridge recreational folding with mathematical design.

1988

First International Meeting of Origami Science & Technology

Held in Ferrara, Italy, on December 6–7, 1989. Organized by Professor Humiaki Huzita of the University of Padua. Brought together origami artists and mathematicians from around the world, and its published proceedings are a seminal reference in the field of mathematical origami.

1989

Humiaki Huzita publishes the origami folding axioms

Huzita articulates a formal set of folding operations (later extended to the Huzita-Justin axioms) that form the base of all mathematical origami constructions.

1989

publication of Unit Origami: Multidimensional Transformations in English

English edition of Tomoko Fuse’s modular designs made her unit/modular methods widely available to folders around the world.

1990

First International Origami in Education conference

Conference on the uses of Origami in Education and Therapy (COET), took place in 1991 (COET91)

1991

Robert J. Lang develops TreeMaker

The TreeMaker software automates parts of base/crease-pattern design, allowing for very complex creatures and engineering applications.

mid 1990s

OrigamiUSA is Born

Friends of the Origami Center adopted the OrigamiUSA name and broadened its programming, including large annual conventions, publications and a library.

1994

The Miura Fold Launches into Space

An origami fold designed by Japanese astrophysicist Koryo Miura for solar arrays is unfolded on the Space Flyer Unit, a Japanese satellite.

1995

Origami As Art & Science in the New Millennium

Origami enthusiasts took to the Internet in droves. Both academic and amateur folders shared their love for folding online and origami techniques infiltrated science and technology.

COMING SOON

2000 & beyond

Origami is a Living Tradition

Due to the basic disposable and perishable nature of paper, the history of paper folding has more holes than creases in the story. Large sections of the timeline of how paper folding as we now know it may be lost to us.

It is equally true that paper folding is a living tradition and so is impossible to study as a strict timeline. New developments continue, new artists and practitioners exist all around the world and most will not be recorded anywhere unless they have a very public presence online or in print. And even those records are fleeting.

That’s part of the reason for the existence of this site. Beyond Origami Day celebrations, paper folding needs more documentation of its history and culture. That is how we will all have places to gather, to share, and to spread the collective knowledge of this ancient and cutting edge art.

References & Further Reading

Similar Posts