The history of origami is under debate mostly because for centuries, each generation handed down the instructions to traditional models to the next, meaning there were no written directions for folding origami models.
It is believed that the art of origami started simultaneously and independently in several countries, including Germany, Spain, and some regions in Africa.
Archeological evidence suggests that paper was invented before 105 A.D., but Cai Lun (Ts’ai Lun) is known as the official inventor of origami paper.
In the 6th century, Buddhist monks carried paper to Japan. It is possible that paper folding came to Japan from China when paper was introduced, but there is no evidence proving this.
China
The oldest (around 1000 A.D.) example of paper folding in China is “yuanbao“, where the paper is folded to look similar to gold nuggets. The pieces are burnt as an offering to the deceased. 3D origami or modular origami is another example of Chinese paper folding.
Japan
It is believed that origami was part of Japanese culture before 1680. Around that time, Ihara Saikaku, a poet, described a dream featuring origami butterflies. In Japan, origami butterflies were used during celebration of weddings to represent the bride and the groom. It is believed that ceremonial paper folding, like origami butterflies representing the bride and the groom, was a significant aspect of Japanese ceremony even before the Helan period (794-1185).
Europe
In Europe, the picture of a small paper boat in an edition of “Tractatus de sphaera mundi” from 1490 by Johannes de Sacrobosco (John of Holywood) is most likely the first recording of paper folding in Europe.
Johannes de Sacrobosco was a scholar, monk, and astronomer who was a teacher at the University of Paris.
USA
The art of origami was properly introduced to the United States of America around the 1950s, when origamist Lillian Oppenheimer (1898-1992) and children’s entertainer Shari Lewis popularized it on TV.
The art of origami become more popular in 1993 by illegal Chinese immigrants who came into the United Stated with Golden Venture ship. They were put in prison while applying for political asylum, where they folded origami models to pass the time.
First Origami Books
The first book published about origami was “Tsutsumi-no Ki” by Sadatake Ise (1764), and the first published book documenting recreational paper folding was “Folding of 1000 Cranes”, by Senbazuru Orikata (Japan, 1797).
Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005) created many new folding styles and models. He is considered to be the grandmaster of origami for developing origami as a creative art.