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Last updated 29/2/2024

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This design is developed from a bird base. Both cut and uncut versions exist.

In his book 'La Creacion en Papiroflexia', published by Miguel A Salvatella in Barcelona in 1979, Vicente Palacios attributes this design to Miguel de Unamuno. I have not seen any evidence to back up this attribution.

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There is an article with further information about this design by David Lister at https://britishorigami.info/academic/lister/pack_mule.php which states, inter alia, 'the Pack Mule and the Elephant appear in many Spanish and Argentinean books of paperfolding, including "El Mundo de Papel" by Nemesio Montero (1939), "El Plegado y Cartonaje" (1940) by Corina Lucia and Antonio Lucia, "Papiroflexia" by E. Gutierrez Gil (undated) and "Papiro Zoo" by Giordano Lareo (1941). The Elephant, but not the Pack Mule appears in "Tratado de Papiroflexia Superior" (1944) by Dr. Vicente Solorzano Sagredo, who had been born in Spain, but who had emigrated to Argentina.' It is worth noting, however, that the Spanish Elephant does not in fact appear in 'El Plegado y Cartonaje'.

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1939

As far as I know this design first appears, in a heavily cut version, in 'El Mundo de Papel' by Dr Nemesio Montero, which was published by G Miranda in Edicions Infancia in Valladolid in 1939. Cuts are used to separate the ears, create the tail, separate the back legs, create the tusks and shorten all four legs.

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1941

An uncut, and therefore three-legged, version of the design appears in 'Papiro-Zoo: Manual practico de cocotologia o papirologia' by Giordano Lareo, which was first published by Larco in Buenos Aires in 1941

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1945

An uncut, and therefore three-legged, version of the design also appears as 'Elefante' in 'Tratado de Papiroflexia Superior' by Vicente Solorzano Sagredo, which was self published in Buenos Aires in 1945. This design is included in a section devoted to Miguel de Unamuno but is not specifically identified as, or evidenced as being, one of his designs. Roughly translated the footnote says, 'It does not appear in any of the said magazines: In Buenos Aires we have seen Mr Carlos Moya, the painter Larranaga and Dr Benavente do it.'

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1952

As 'Elefante' in 'Una Hoja de Papel' by Lorenzo Herrero, which was published by Miguel A Salvatella in Barcelona in 1952. In this version cuts are used to separate the ears and shorten all four legs, but not to create tusks or a tail or to separate the back legs. As a result this version of the design only has one back leg.

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Under the title 'How To Make A Paper Elephant' in the 1952 Rupert Annual. This is the same heavily cut version as appeared in 'El Mundo de Papel' in 1939.

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1956

As 'The Elephant' in 'Paper Magic' by Robert Harbin, which was published by Oldbourne in London in 1956. The text notes, 'Origin: Spanish'. This is the same heavily cut version as appeared in 'El Mundo de Papel' in 1939.

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