In China, traditional funerals often include the burning of folded paper, most often representations of gold nuggets ( yuanbao). These seem to have been mostly separate traditions, until the 20th century. The folding of two origami cranes linked together, from the first known book on origami, Hiden senbazuru orikata, published in Japan in 1797Дistinct paperfolding traditions arose in Europe, China, and Japan which have been well-documented by historians. The principles of origami are also used in stents, packaging, and other engineering applications. Traditional Japanese origami, which has been practiced since the Edo period (1603вЂ“1867), has often been less strict about these conventions, sometimes cutting the paper or using nonsquare shapes to start with. In general, these designs begin with a square sheet of paper whose sides may be of different colors, prints, or patterns. The best-known origami model is the Japanese paper crane. The small number of basic origami folds can be combined in a variety of ways to make intricate designs. Origami folders often use the Japanese word kirigami to refer to designs which use cuts. Modern origami practitioners generally discourage the use of cuts, glue, or markings on the paper. The goal is to transform a flat square sheet of paper into a finished sculpture through folding and sculpting techniques. In modern usage, the word 'origami' is used as an inclusive term for all folding practices, regardless of their culture of origin. Origami ( жЉг‚Љзґ™, Japanese pronunciation: or, from ori meaning 'folding', and kami meaning 'paper' ( kami changes to gami due to rendaku)) is the art of paper folding, which is often associated with Japanese culture. A group of Japanese schoolchildren dedicate their contribution of Thousand origami cranes at the Sadako Sasaki memorial in Hiroshima.

Origami swan