> Date: Thu, 16 May 2013 22:35:03 -0500
> From: Jos? Tomas Buitrago <[email protected]>
> Subject: [Origami] TV Sighting
> *Hi.*
> *In the miniseries **Da Vinci's Demons, episode 5 "The Tower", Leonardo Da
> Vinci during a trial folds a traditional flapping bird, then he rippes it.*
> *Good luck,*
> *Jose Tomas Buitrago*
Needless to say, the TV folks haven't read David Lister on the
question of Leonardo da Vinci and origami !
Errors and misconceptions about the history of paperfolding (see his postscript)
http://www.britishorigami.info/academic/lister/errors.php
As a historian of science, I've spent a lot of time looking at
facsimiles of Leonardo's notebooks. I wouldn't put anything ingenious
past Leonardo,
but I haven't yet seen anything I'd call origami.
Letterfolds could be an exception. I haven't seen any Leonardo letters
close-up, but just today I saw 2 examples of letterfolds in an
Renaissance italian oil painting ca 1579, i.e. 70 years after
Leonardo:
"Domenico Giuliani and his Servant." Circle of Bartolomeo Passarotti,
1579. Manchester City Galleries, Manchester.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/yourpaintings/paintings/domenico-giuliani-and-his-servant-205778
Currently on display at the Princeton University Art Museum.
>From the shading on the open letter, I think that the lefthand
margin was first valley-folded to mark the left side of the space for
the letter and then the top was valley- folded to demarcate a space
for the salutation. The partially folded letter next to it seems to
be folded in thirds and then thirds again--very typical for
Renaissance letters. The servant holds a letter that has been
completely folded (and further wrapped?) and, I think, tied with a
thin thread.
Wishing David could weigh in on this!
Karen
Karen Reeds, co-ringleader, Princeton Public Library Origami Group.
Affiliate of Origami USA, http://origamiusa.org/
We usually meet 2nd Wednesday of the month, 6:30-8pm, 3rd floor. Free!
We provide paper! All welcome! (Kids under 8, please bring a
grown-up.)
Princeton Public Library info: 609.924.9529 http://www.princetonlibrary.org/
[email protected] (Ann Woodrow)
Next meeting Wed, June 12, 2013.
