Origami Moyo

[Laura Rozenberg]

Hi everyone,
I wonder if anyone of you has a copy and could send me or upload a picture of the cover of the books named Origami Moyo (two volumes), by Kodo Kawarasaki (1935). I may have that book but cannot identify it due to my ignorance of the Japanese.
By now you may know that I own several of the books that belonged to Gershon Legman and to Ligia Montoya (both mutually corresponded and shared bibliography). Among those books there are some in Japanese. Ligia mentioned in one of her letters to Legman that she was interested in the Origami Moyo so I wonder if she finally got a copy from Legman. If so, that improves my chances of having a copy right now.

Thanks and Happy Holidays,
Laura

[Michel G]

In the book "The best in magic" by Bruce Elliott (1956), Gershon Legman discribe 4 models.

On page 29, about the "Chinese junk" he wrote :
"An even better form is shown in Kodo Kawarasaki's "Origami Moyo," (Paper-Folding Designs, Kyoto, 1935) vol. 1: p. 28, but without directions."

So to catch "Origami Moyo", catch the picture of the "Chinese junk" on page 28 !

Note, that the book was translated in French, under the title "Les meilleurs tours de la prestidigitation moderne" edited by Payot, 1957. But this sentence and some other historical references have disappeared in the translation.

[Laura Rozenberg]

So to catch "Origami Moyo", catch the picture of the "Chinese junk" on page 28 !

Thanks so much Michel! That's smart. I just ordered the book (1956 edition) from Abebooks. Can't wait to see what's on page 28.

Happy Holidays!
Laura

[Michel G]

Thanks so much Michel! That's smart. I just ordered the book (1956 edition) from Abebooks. Can't wait to see what's on page 28.

Happy Holidays!
Laura

When I wrote "So to catch "Origami Moyo", catch the picture of the "Chinese junk" on page 28 !"
I imagine you seeing yours unidentified Japanese book at page 28 and if you find a picture of the Chinese junk (on page 28), this book could be "Origami Moyo".

In "The best in magic", the 4 models described by Gershon Legman are
- The lotus (in fact the lover's knot)
- The bow-tie (from a dollar bill)
- The bolt and frame
- The Cleopatra's barge (variation of the Chinese junk)

David Lister has wrote (source = http://www.britishorigami.info/academic ... rmoney.php)
"In his Bibliography, under the heading "Dollar Bill folds", Legman directed the reader's attention to the entry under his own name. Here are listed two of his folds "Lotus and Bow Tie" (The Lover's Knot) in the magic magazine Phoenix for 21st March 1952 and his "Lingam and Yoni" (a version of the bar and bolt)., which was stated in his bibliography to be in preparation and which later appeared in "Phoenix" for 23rd, January 1953. However, neither of these folds is instructed to be folded from a dollar bill, although there is not doubt that with very slight modification both could become money folds."

As Bruce Elliott, was the director of the magic magazine "Phoenix", it would be interesting to compare the previous articles in the magazine and the articles in "The best of magic". For me, they are quite the same.

[Laura Rozenberg]

When I wrote "So to catch "Origami Moyo", catch the picture of the "Chinese junk" on page 28 !"
I imagine you seeing yours unidentified Japanese book at page 28 and if you find a picture of the Chinese junk (on page 28), this book could be "Origami Moyo".

Thanks Michel, yes, after I sent my reply yesterday night I realized what you said. It seems I don't have the Origami Moyo. I hope to see a copy one day, especially because Ligia Montoya referred to that book in several of her letters. Also because this is an early book and I would like to see what type of guidelines this book used (before the system developed by Akira Yoshizawa). The early books in Europe and Argentina used perspective and shadows (Lareo, Boveri), and sometimes very fine dotted lines, and even arrows (Blanch). Of course that is aside from the complex system developed by Solórzano. But what was the norm in Japan before Yoshizawa?

As Bruce Elliott, was the director of the magic magazine "Phoenix", it would be interesting to compare the previous articles in the magazine and the articles in "The best of magic". For me, they are quite the same.

I haven't seen the book yet but probably Legman gave Elliott permission to reproduce in the book what he had published earlier in Phoenix, right?

[Michel G]

I haven't seen the book yet but probably Legman gave Elliott permission to reproduce in the book what he had published earlier in Phoenix, right?

Of course Legman has given permission to reproduce it.

You can find the book in a differents titles.
"Magic 100 new tricks edited by Faber and Faber (1957)
The French version "Les meilleurs tours de la prestidigitation moderne" has 2 editions by Payot 1957 and 1970.
The Spanish version titled "El mejor de la magia" published in 1967 is based on the 6th American edition.

[Michel G]

Title: Origami Moyou vol.2 (折紙模様　下)
Artist: Kawarazaki Kodo (河原崎 晃洞)
Publisher: Unsodo (芸艸堂)
Year: 1935 and Size: 25 × 37.5 cm
And now the cover of volume 2 :

and 4 pictures (on 15 existing in this handmade woodcut prints book) :





And you have the possibity to buy it...
Follow http://www.ukiyoe-salon.jp/listing/224403888 or directly on Etsy
https://www.etsy.com/fr/listing/2244038 ... azaki-kodo

[Michel G]

More images of this volume 2 in a (past ?) auction in a Japanese website, see :
http://page22.auctions.yahoo.co.jp/jp/a ... l275812996#
Saddly is not possible to save the images : so, use the screen copy !

[Michel G]

If you want to save some money, you can get a modern version from... 2010

for only 45 € with
http://www.amazon.fr/Origami-tanoshimu- ... 4753812936
To see some images of this modern version
http://www.amazon.co.jp/%E6%8A%98%E3%82 ... 4753812936
You will have (very) reduced images of the 2 volumes. 4 double original pages printed on one page new version.
For example 2nd part of volume 1 :

And, as bonus (and main part of the book) the diagrams to fold the models depicted in the pages of the 2 original volumes.

[Michel G]

Another image of volume 1


You can zoom the image in the following page
http://collections.si.edu/search/tag/ta ... nline=true

More detailled information see http://collections.si.edu/search/result ... igami+moyo