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Last updated 7/8/2025

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'Jeux et Travaux Enfantins - Première partie: Le Monde en Papier' by Marie Koenig and Albert Durand was published by Librairie Classique A. Jeande in Paris in 1889.

This work consists of an Avertissement by both authors, A lengthy Preface by Albert Durand (Chapter 6 of which is reproduced below), and sections about Pliage, Decoupage, Les Lignes (pictures made by combining strips of paper, mostly not folded),Les Surfaces (mosaics from shapes cut from paper and weaving from paper strips), Les Volumes (construction of solids and 'objets usuels', and some complex buildings, mostly made using the cardboard modelling technique). I have recorded all the designs from the Pliage section, some designs from the Decoupage section and a few designs from the Les Volumes (but only those which use folded pieces of paper combined withoiut glue).

A full copy of the work can be accessed online here. My thanks to Juan Gimeno for this link.

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Avertissement

The authors state that 'Our intention is not to write a technical book ... Our ambition is very modest. It is very young children that we are concerned with.' Yet despite this the work contains a lengthy technical introduction and designs, particularly cardboard modelling designs, which would seem much more appropriate for use with children of a considerably older age.

The authors also claim that 'Our games combine the exercises of the Froebelian exercises withoutr having their serious defects.'

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The Preface

Chapter 6 of The Preface begins with the statement that 'The decree of January 18th 1887 prescribes it (manual work) in les ecoles maternelles (art 4), les ecoles primaires (art 27), les ecoles superiores (art 35 and 39), les ecoles apprentissages (art 55)'.

The Preface also contains a detailed critique of Froebel's educational method (though in many ways this is a critique of the misdevelopment of Froebel's ideas by his followers, not that of Froebel himself. This critique is also laced with a strong dose of French patriotism and a corresponding dislike of German ideas.

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Analysis

Part 1 - Pliage

Chapitre 1 - La Balle

Paper Balls and The Paper Cone.

The Paper Cone (placed as a snuffer) is used as a target to throw the balls at.

There are no accompaning illustrations for this chapter.

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Chapitre 2 - Le Carre (The Square)

How to Make a Square from an Oblong

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The Cut and Fold Windmill

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Chapitre 3 - Fichu Brode (Embroidered Scarf)

How to make a hemmed handkerchief.

How to fold it in four and scallop the edge by tearing

How to fold it in eight and tear out sections so that when opened it becomes an embroidered handkerchief - Ausschneiden und Aufkleben

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Chapitre 4 - Les Bandes de Papier (Paper Strips)

L'Accordeon ou Serpent (ccordion or snake) - The Witch's Ladder

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Manches de Gigot (leg of lamb sleeves) / Boubeches / Pompons - Paper Frills

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Fig 11 shows a 'bouchon de lampe' (lamp cap) made by combining the two designs, which is presumably a decoration for a candlestick.

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Chapitre 5 - L'Écran Japonais (The Japanese screen)

L'Escabeau (stepladder) - The Stairs

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L'Eventail (The Fan)

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L'Écran Japonais (The Japanese Screen) - The Paper Screen

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La Jalousie (Jealousy) is a shade for a window.

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Le Cuche-pot (plant pot) - 'a hollow object made to contain a vase'.

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Chapitre 6 - Lettres en Relief (Embossed Letters)

See Alphabet, Letters and Numbers

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Chapitre 7 - Chiffres en Relief (Embossed Numbers)

See Alphabet, Letters and Numbers

These numbers are said to be difficult to make in the classroom but can be made at home under the instruction of mothers.

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Chapitre 8 - La Pyramide

This design is a bird base sewn together at the point.

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Chapitre 9 - Pliages obtenu avec la pyramide

(ie other designs obtained from the bird base)

Le Chapeau de General

This design is described but not illustrated. The text says:

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Le Casque Gaulois ou Normand

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Le Hochet (The Rattle)

Intended to contain paper balls to make the rattling noise.

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Le Martinet des Tourelles (The Swift of the Turrets) - The Flapping Bird

The text calls this design 'a Japanese toy, which the journal La Nature calls it a mechanical paper bird. It moves its wings if you pull the fold that forms the tail while holding the base of the wings near the neck between two fingers of the other hand'.

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Part 2 - Decoupage

I have not included all the design from this part of the work in the Analysis or reproduced the pages they appear in below.

Chapitre 10

Le Cerf Volant

This kite is made by poking sticks through holes in a sheet of paper. The holes are aligned by folding the paper.

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Le parachute - The Paper Parachute

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Le panier a salade (the salad basket) - The Paper Cage

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Le panache d'Henri IV (The plume of Henri IV)

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Chapitre 11 / 12 / 13 - Les Feuilles

This method of cutting out then zigzag folding to create indentations around the edges is said to be a discovery of the author's.

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Chapitre 18 - Enlacements, festons y nattes

Some of these designs are made using split strips or by weaving single strips onto split strips

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Chapitre 19 - Festons, nouads et enlacements

Some of these designs are examples of the Froebelian occupation of Verschnuren.

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Chapitre 20 - La ronde de poupees

The Chain of Dolls

Described but not illustrated.

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Paper Chains

These chains are made without glue by linking tabs into slits.

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Part 5 - Les Volumes

Chapitre 37 / 38 / 39 - Jeu de cubes / de solides / des parallelipipedes

The Two-Ring Cube

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The following chapters show how to use the same technique to create other opened ended prisms and Two-Ring Cuboids.

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Selected Pages

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