The Public Paperfolding History Project

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Kani Shukogaku by Tamotsu Shibue, 1892
 

'Kani Shukogaku' (Simple Handicraft) by Tamotsu Shibue was published in Tokyo in 1892 as title 47 of the series 'Tsuzoku Kyoiku Zensho' (The Complete Book of Popular Education).

It contains a few pages of illustrations of Kindergarten style paper cuts and folds but little detail about how they are to be arrived at. Much of the information seems to have been taken from the earlier Kindergarten Shoho.

A full version of the work can be accessed online here.

My grateful thanks to Andrew Dewar for translating the Japanese titles of the Folds of Life from hiragana and for offering helpful thoughts on the identification of the designs.

I have only analysed the Folds of Life at the present time.

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Analysis

The Paper Crane

(The characters say 'tsuru' which means 'crane')

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Turtle (presumably cut)

(The characters say 'kame' which means 'turtle')

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Yakko-san

(The characters say 'fukura suzume')

A fukura suzume is a 'puffed-up sparrow' or a sparrow in winter)

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The Iris

(The characters say 'kakitsubaka' which means 'iris')

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The Windmill

(The characters say 'kazaguruma' which means 'windmill')

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The Lantern (aka the Muff)

(The characters say 'tourou' which means 'lantern')

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Takarabune (aka the Chinese Junk)

(The characters say 'chousenbune' which translates as 'korean boat')

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Kitsune

(The characters say 'kitsune' which means 'fox spirit')

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The Sanbo

(The characters say 'sanbou')

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Kikuzara

(The characters say 'kikuzara' which means 'chrysanthemum dish')

Note that somewhat unusually this version of the design is five-sided.

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Crab

(The characters say 'kani' which means 'crab')

Note that this design was interpreted as a raccoon dog in Kindergaten Shoho.

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The Tenjin Shrine

(The characters say 'tenjin')

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Fukusuke

(The characters say 'fukusuke)

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The Cut Frog

(The characters say 'kawazu' which means 'frog')

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Selected Pages

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