Origami Page:
Hina dolls

Mary Ellen Palmeri

Welcome to our monthly "Origami Page". Origami is folding paper and ending up with delightful figures and models, such as flowers, boxes and animals. This feature will showcase a different origami model in each monthly issue, with diagrams and photos to help readers learn how to fold them. Most models use one square of paper, some use a rectangle, and others use more than one piece of paper.

Click for printable file.

“Girls Day” is celebrated in Japan on March 3 every year. The festival is called “Hinamatsuri” which literally means Doll Festival and it is a time to wish for the health and future happiness of all young girls. It is often celebrated in homes with displays of special dolls that represent good luck for girls.

These dolls are always dressed in clothing of the ancient Japanese courts, and are set up with the Emperor and Empress dolls sitting together. If more dolls are displayed they always sit in tiers below the first two.

Often five tiers will be displayed. If so, the second tier will have three ladies-in-waiting, the third is for five musicians, the fourth two ministers of the court, and the 5th tier is for three samurai, or guards.

This month’s Origami Hina dolls represent a male and female figure, and they can be used for any and all of the Hinamatsuri Festival figures! Using a variety of attractive papers makes a colorful array of origami dolls. The faces can be drawn showing various expressions.

Happy folding!

Origami originated in ancient Asian cultures and has been adapted by contemporary artists worldwide to reflect their own cultures. Local artist Mary Ellen Palmeri has incorporated paper folding into many of her mixed media art paintings, and teaches origami classes locally and nationally. Some of her work can be seen in a Tucson Happenings feature here: Artist_Profile

Ms. Palmeri's original origami models have been published in books and magazines, she has been featured on broadcast media, and her mixed-media fine art works often include various original origami models. Origami LAFF (Lyric Arts Folding Fest) is a Tucson based club founded by Ms. Palmeri to provide a venue for sharing this art. The group meets monthly at a local library; for more details please contact the artist at info@lyric-arts.com