Main Index Page

Last updated 29/8/2025

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his page is being used to collect information about the history of folded Schonheitsformen (Folds of Beauty), symmetrical geometric designs which were folded in the Kindergarten as part of the Froebelian occupation of Falten (paperfolding). in Japanese publications. 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.

There is a separate page about Froebelian Forms of Beauty in Western Europe and America.

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1878

'Yochien Ombutsu No Zu' (Illustrations of Kindergarten Gifts), which was published in 1878 by the Tokyo Women's Normal School, contains four pages of illustrations of Forms of Beauty. These were redrawn from illustrations in the 1874 edition of 'Der Kindergarten' by Hermann Goldammer.

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1905

Diagrams for folding several Forms of Beauty appear in 'Shukouka Kyohon : Liron Jishuu Souga Setsumei' by Kikujiro Kiuchi, Rokushiro Uehara and Hideyoshi Okayama, which was published by Shigebei Takase in Chiba in 1905.

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Diagrams for several Forms of Beauty also appear in 'Shukoka Kyoju Saian' by Gentaro Tanahashi and Hideyoshi Okayama, which was published by Hobunkan in Tokyo in 1905.

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1931

Instructions for making Folds of Beauty, although presented as flower patterns, from the Windmill Base appear in 'Origami (Part 1)' by Isao Honda, which was first published in Japan in 1931. The picture on the left is a generic pattern. The picture on the right represents four types of Hydrangeas

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1944

A few Folds of Beauty derived from the Windmill Base appear in 'Origami Shuko' by Isao Honda, which was published in 1944.

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