Main Index Page

Last updated 22/2/2025

x

'Tratado de Papiroflexia Superior' by Vicente Solorzano Sagredowas self published in Buenos Aires in 1944. It comprises parts 4 and 5 of the author's 'Papirolas' series, combined into one volume. I am indebted to the British Origami Society for letting me see a copy of this work.

The work is introduced by a Prologo by Ramon Perez de Ayala and an Advertencia by the author. He acknowledges the assistance of 'the great artist Borisow' who drew the illustrations and 'my fraternal childhood friend Carlos de Moya' for 'collaboration and moral support'.

Apart from the introductory material the work consists of:

Primera Parte - pages 25 to 152 are an analysis of Solorzano's system of bases and preliminary folds. I have not analysed or reproduced this since it is over-complicated and seems to have had little, if any, influence on the design work of other paperfolders, and therefore lacks historical significance.

Segunda Parte - pages 153 to 230 explain many of the author's original paperfolds. This part also contains an embedded sub-section about the designs of Miguel de Unamuno (see foot of page). Some of the footnotes in this section give historical information about where the author learned the designs.

Tercera Parte - pages 231 to 264 explain folds which are, in the author's words, roughly translated, 'some fairly widespread paperfolds we have not previously explained' and 'now it is their turn because with them the collection of popular paperfolds known to us long before undertaking the new and methodological study of paperfolding is complete'.

Cuarte Parte - pages 265 to 301 explain some single-sheet polyhedral paperfolds of the author's invention. These designs are not analysed or recorded on this page.

Index de Neologismos - pages 302 to 308 (not reproduced here)

Bibliografia - page 309 and 310 (see foot of page)

Voces de Aliento (excerpts from reviews in the press) - pages 311 to 326 (not reproduced here)

Indice - page 327 to 332 (not reproduced here)

**********

This work is mentioned in Gershon Legman's 'Bibliography of Paperfolding' which was published in 1952 and which states that it comprises manuals 4 and 5 of the 'Papirola's series. (Volumes 6 to 10 were never published.)

**********

**********

This biographical information is signed E F de B. I do not know whose initials these are. This biographical information has been incorporeated in the page about The Paperfoldfing of Dr Vicente Solorzano Sagredo.

**********

Analysis

This Analysis only records information about the designs explained in Parts Two and Three. It looks first at those designs which are attributed to Unamuno, then at designs which are unattributed and so may be considered to be 'traditional', and finally at the author's own designs. This is not the order in which the designs are presented in the work. Not all the attrributions in the work are totally clear and it is possible that some designs may have been placed in the wrong category.

The work contains a sub-section devoted to the work of Unamuno. This sub-section begins with pages devoted to information about Unamuno and his designs. These are reproduced at the foot of this page.

In the final paragraph of thius section, on page 196, the author says:

In English, roughly translated, 'After presenting the paperfolds considered to be Unamuno's cocatillas (perhaps with some modifications) we will continue to present others from the same folding and which, also because they are the first of our creations, are somewhat more naive and simple than those we will present in the next manuals.' It is not entirely clear where the boundary between these two types of designs falls within the work.

I have sub-divided the Analysis of those designs that I believe the author is attributing to Unamuno into two parts, first, designs for which evidence of Unamunos authorship is provided by the author, or is known to exist elsewhere (and which can therefore be attributed to Unamuno with a high of confidence confidence), and, second, those for which evidence is not provided, and is not known to exist elsewhere (and which therefore cannot be attributed to Unamuno with any confidence at all at the present time).

On page 196 the author refers to 'giraffes, monkeys, condors, penguins and swans' in a way that shows he believed that all these designs should be attributed to Unamuno. However, he presents no evidence to link the giraffe or the penguin with Unamuno, and I have placed them in the second category.

On the same page the author explains the source of his information, roughly translated, 'Although unfortunately we never got to know this great and vigorous Spanish figure, through conversations with those who were fortunate enough to know and deal with him ... and through notes we took at the same time from various collaborations published in different magazines ... we were able to reproduce a large part of them (Unamuno's designs) ... in the most faithful and precise way.'

The author also comments on Unamuno's paperfolding ethics, roughly translated, stating that Unamuno, 'had a barrier to his production as he established that the merit of these creations should be in 'Not cutting, gluing or adding anything to the creature formed from the folds of the paper' in a square shape that he systematically used. That is why most of his cocatillas, graceful in their lines and stylisation, are rather caricatured impressions of animals, sometimes lacking a limb or a distinctive element.' This passage, of course, not only throws light on Unamuno's paperfolding ethics but also on those of the author.

**********

Designs for which evidence of Unamuno's authorship is provided

Tetera - Unamuno's Teapot

Roughly translated, the footnote reads, ''Estampa', an illustrated magazine from Madrid, published in two different issues an engraving in which this design appears placed on a table made with a piece of paper.'

**********

Foca - Unamuno's Seal

Roughly translated, the footnote reads, 'In 'Plus Ultra' of Madrdid, of 31st December 1925, by Dr Joaquin de Luna, there is a photograph in which this design appears and another in the vignette . There is also a photograph in two issues of the magazine 'Estampa' of Madrid, illustrating two articles, one by M Martin Agacir and another whose name we do not remember.'

Unamuno's Seal does not, however, appear in the article in 'Plus Ultra'. Solorzano may have confused it with the drawing of Unamuno's Duck.

**********

Cisne - Unamuno's Swan

Roughly translated, the footnote reads, 'It also appears in the magazine 'Estampa' in the aforementioned collaboration with M Martin Agacir. In Buenos Aires in 1941 the great Spanish painter Miguel del Pino showed me the technique for its execution.'

**********

Cerdo - Unamuno's Pig

Roughly translated, the footnote reads, 'It also appears in the two mentioned numbers of 'Estampa'; it is referred to in Unamuno's letter to the writer Venegas, transcibed in part in the book 'Variaciones' ...'

**********

Avechucho / Buitre - Unamuno's Upright Bird

Roughly translated, this footnote says, 'It appears in the above mentioned issues of 'Estampa' and also in a drawing by Unamuno himself published in 'Variaciones'. It was also this Avechucho that inspired the famous sonnet 'A mi Buitre' to which Andre Corthis refers in his book 'Peregrinaciones por Espana' translated by Jacinto Ramos, Ediciones literarias, Madrid 1931.'

**********

Buho - Unamuno's Owl

The author does not give any evidence of Unamuno's authorship of this design but it is clearly shown in Fig D, one of the photographs from 'Estampa', on page 194.

**********

Mono - Unamuno's Chimpanzee

Roughly translated, this footnote says, 'It appears in the foreground in a photoengraving in 'Plus Ultra' and in a drawing by the same author of 'Variaciones'.' It is worth noting that while the design shown in 'Variaciones' (and most probably 'Plus Ultra') has two back legs, this design only has one.

*********

Three variations of Unamuno's Standing Bird

Roughly translated, this footnote says, 'Birds walking etc etc appear in the photogravures of the magazines cited.' Three of the four variants of Unamuno's standing bird design that the author details are indeed found in the magazine photographs he refers to, although the fourth, the 'Pajara de cola baja' is not (and therefore appears in the second section).

Pajara Paseanda

***

Pajara Picando

***

Pajara de pico largo

**********

Designs attributed to Unamuno but for which evidence of his authorship is not provided

Pajara de cola baja

While this design is clearly a variant of Unamuno's Standing Bird it does not appear in any of the photographs the author cites (or in any other known historical sources ).

**********

Escarabajo Pelotero

Roughly translated, this footnote reads, 'Figure in one of the photographs published by 'Estampa.' However, this appears to be an error. I cannot find this design in any of the photographs published in 'Estampa', or in any other known historical source.

**********

Estrella Deltoidea

No evidence is presented to connect this design with Unamuno.

**********

Elefante - The Spanish Elephant

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.' It seems to me that these statements do not amount to evidence to connect this design with Unamuno.

**********

Rinoceronte unicornio - The Spanish Rhinocerous

Roughly translated this footnote reads, 'Rhinocerous and Giraffe: We found references in 'El Mundo de Papel' by N Montero ... We made them based on the Elephant and the Monkey.'It seems to me that these statements do not amount to evidence to connect either design with Unamuno.

**********

Jirafa - The Spanish Giraffe

See above

**********

Oso

Roughly translated and omitting all the names of the publishers for brevity, this footnote reads: The Bear. the Ostrich, the Penguin and others like the Donkey with Rider, the Frog etc we saw several fans do and especially Dr Benavente: after 1939 there appeared in 'El Mundo de Papel', an interesting work of graded manual work, carried out be our great friend and colleague Dr N Montero, from Vallidolid (Spain) in the year 1940 and later books appeared in Buenos Aires, 'El Plegado y Cartonage en la escuela primaria' by Mr Luchia ..., 'Plegado' by R Yapur ..., Trabajo Manual Educativo' by A V Aramburu ... and 'Papiro Zoo' by G Lareo, which reproduce, with some variations, some 'cocotillas' by the great Unamuno and others that appeared in the leaflets 'Images a Plier and 'Figuras de Papel'.

Unfortunately this footnote does not tell us which of these 'cocotillas' the author considered to be Unamuno's own or what the evidence for attributing them to Unamuno, if any, is, for lack of which safe attributions cannot be made.

**********

Avestruz

See above

**********

Pinguino

See above

**********

Other unattributed ('traditional') designs

Pajarita Voladora o Pajaro mecanico do papel - The Flapping Bird

**********

Grulla Japonesa (Dzuro) - The Paper Crane

**********

Moro - 4 variations

Roughly translated this reads, 'This paperfold is not very well known, although it is popular in Spain and was known to Unamuno, according to the information that was shown to me ... it is the first known stylization of a human figure.' But contrast what the author says about the 'Muneco Gordo' below.

Roughly translated this footnote says, 'We find references in the aforementioned writer Agacir attributing it to a young lady from Salamanca; we have seen it done by Dr Pedro Ara who learned it in Spain. The variations in his attitude are our modifications.'

**********

Chocolatera / Piramide Truncado

**********

Renacuajo o Pez Sapo

Roughly translated this footnote says, 'I learned this curious paperfold from the famous painter Enrique J de Larranaga, who in turn said he had learned it from a Chinese artist.'

**********

Muneco Gordo (compound design)

This design is made in four pieces (head, neck body and legs) glued together.

Roughly translated, this footnote says, 'I learned the fat and thin dolls in Vallidolid in around 1896/7. Their anthropomorphic variations have suggested to me the discovery and study of the dobleces super and archi-deltoides folds previously explained.'

**********

Muneco Flaco o Bailarin (compound design)

**********

Designs attributed to the author

Designs derived from the fish base

(Note that the modern term 'fish base' does not appear in the work)

Papagayo o Ara

**********

Loro

**********

Tucan

**********

Tijereta (cut)

The two parts of the tail of this design appear to have been separated by a cut, although I cannot find any instruction to this effect in the text.

**********

Martin Pescador o Alcion

**********

Cisne

**********

Faisan (cut)

The two parts of the tail of this design appear to have been separated by a cut, although I cannot find any instruction to this effect in the text.

**********

Raya

**********

Palometa

**********

Pez Luna

**********

Serpiente

**********

Designs developed from other bases / preliminary folds

Cartera de Senora

**********

Estrella de cinco puntas

**********

Corona Gotica

**********

Mesa Octogonal

**********

Kiosco chino - Le Kiosque Japonais

**********

Sapo

**********

Mate criollo con pie (pot on legs)

**********

Flor de iris - The Lily

**********

Rana saltarina comun o primitiva

**********

Cangrejo (crab)

This is a heavily cut design

**********

Gauch argentino (de pie y a caballo)

**********

Ranita de las praderas

**********

Selected Pages

**********

**********