Scatter Brained

10
Rock, Paper, Scissors: 
Arts and Crafts Around the World
PAPER
Origami, the art of folding paper, probably began around 105 
CE, when the Chinese invented paper. “Hey,” someone said, 

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noticing, “you can fold this stuff  in half!” But 
origami
 itself is 
a Japanese word, and it was in Japan that the art took on se-
rious dimensions. Beginning in the 15th century, origami was 
used  ceremonially—as  elaborate  gift  wrap  to  folded-paper 
gifts for dead ancestors. Th
  ese days, origami artists are capa-
ble of complicated creations. Although the rules of origami 
forbid cutting, pasting, or decorative touches, artists have 
managed to build everything from scale models of the Eiff el 
Tower to birds with fl appable wings.
Known to Enjoy Origami:
  Spanish  author  Miguel  de  Una-
muno, the Bauhaus design school (which taught origami as 
training for building design), and Friedrich Frobel, who in-
vented kindergartens.
ROCK
If you really want your art to last, nothing beats rock (not 
even paper). Th
  e earliest known cave paintings are in France’s 
Chauvet cave, or Grotte Chauvet (which is named for the guy 
who happened across it in 1994). Believed to be 32,000 years 
old, the cave’s walls bear more than 300 paintings. Appar-
ently, the ancient artists’ favorite subject was, well, food—
with the paintings at Chauvet depicting animals from owls to 
hyenas. In fact, much attention was paid to the craft, includ-
ing the use of multiple colors. But while the French paintings 
have held up pretty well, the most sophisticated cave paint-
ings are likely those found in Sub-Saharan Africa. Th
 ere, 
painters used perspective, shading, and minute details to 
create realistic portraits of ancient animals.
Known to Be Rock Painters:
 Ancient folks on six continents! 
In the old days, rock was 
the
 canvas for aspiring artists every-
where.