Have been meaning to chime in here for ages, but as usual there are
too many other things going on in Anne-land, so here's a quick
comment:
No one has really mentioned that there is a long (hundreds of years)
Japanese object-wrapping tradition, both in paper, fabric and other
materials. There were, for instance, proscribed wrapping methods for
specific types of objects (fans, swords, incense all had their
specific ways in which you were "supposed" to fold the wrapping) and
there's a wide range of ways that variously-sized pieces of fabric
("furoshiki") can be used to wrap or carry all sorts of things.
Many of these methods would, I think, fit with Gerardo's list of constraints:
> -the gift is wrapped using exclusively the paper, the gift itself and the
> folds.
> -the folding process must include the very gift.
> -the folding can easily be adapted to the particular dimensions of the gift.
> -when unwrapping the gift you end up with the paper unfolded as well, or at
> least in the most part.
But researching the Japanese-specific techniques and history is going
to be tricky if you don't read Japanese.
There's a short note by David Lister in the BOS "Lister List" about
Japanese packaging:
http://www.britishorigami.info/academic/lister/japanese_package.php
and searching the web for "how to use a furoshiki" ought to yield you
quite a bit, anyway.
Hope that's a little bit useful!
Anne
