The Public Paperfolding History Project

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The Fat Sparrow
 
This page attempts to record what is known about the origin and history of the origami design known as the Fat Sparrow. Please contact me if you know any of this information is incorrect or if you have any other information that should be added. Thank you.

The Sparrow is a version of the Crane folded directly from a Preliminary Fold.

In Japan

1931

As far as I know the Fat Sparrow first appears in 'Origami (Part 1)' by Isao Honda, which was published in Japan in 1931.

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1965

There is an illustration of the Fat Sparrow, but no explanation of how to fold it, in ' The World of Origami' by Isao Honda, which was published in the USA by Japan Publications Trading Company in 1965.

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In Western Europe / The USA

1932

As far as I know the first appearance of the Fat Sparrow in the West, under the title of 'La Poule Qui Couve' (The Laying Hen), is in Booklet 5 of 'Images a Plier', a series of 6 booklets published by Librairie Larousse in Paris in 1932. Note that the commentary says that this is 'another Japanese fold'.

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1937

The design also appears, under the title the of 'Duck', in Margaret Campbell's 'Paper Toy Making', which was published by Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons Ltd in London, probably in 1937, although both the Foreword and Preface are dated 1936, which argues that the book was complete at that date.

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