# Kusudama

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The **kusudama** (薬玉) is a paper model that is usually (although not always) created by sewing multiple identical pyramidal units together using underlying geometric principles of polyhedra to form a spherical shape. Alternatively, the individual components may be glued together. A tassel is occasionally attached to the bottom for decoration.[1]

## Form

The kusudama is important in [origami](/source/Origami). Traditional kusudama can be made from origami flowers, such as the traditional origami lily. Instead of using string, many modern origami kusudama take the form of [modular origami](/source/Modular_origami), where folded units are typically assembled by inserting flaps into pockets of adjacent units.[2]

Although some origami purists[who?] frown upon threading or gluing the units together, others recognize that early traditional Japanese origami often used both cutting (see [thousand origami cranes](/source/Thousand_origami_cranes) or [senbazuru](/source/Senbazuru)) and pasting, and respect kusudama as an ingenious traditional paper folding craft in the origami world.[citation needed]

Modern origami masters such as [Tomoko Fuse](/source/Tomoko_Fuse) have created new kusudama designs that are entirely assembled without cutting, glue, or thread except as a hanger.[3]

## History

The term *kusudama* originates from ancient Japanese culture, where they were used for [incense](/source/Incense) and [potpourri](/source/Potpourri); possibly originally being actual bunches of flowers or herbs.[4] The word itself is a combination of two Japanese words *kusuri* ("medicine") and *tama* ("ball"). They are now typically used as decorations, or as gifts.[5]

## Waritama

Kusudama can also be used to refer to a type of decoration that is displayed and split open for celebrations. This decoration is more specifically called *waritama* (割り玉; lit. split ball). Waritama are large, spherical decorations that split in half to release confetti, streamers, balloons, etc. They can be used for a variety of events, including school events, graduation ceremonies, enterprise founding anniversaries, and sports competitions.

An emoji depicting a waritama, called *Confetti Ball* (**🎊**), was introduced with the October 2010 release of [Unicode 6.0](/source/Unicode#Versions). It is the [Emoticons Unicode block](/source/Emoticons_(Unicode_block)): .

## See also

- [Modular origami](/source/Modular_origami)

## Notes and references

1. ["7 Steps to a Pretty Origami Kusudama Flower"](https://www.thesprucecrafts.com/origami-kusudama-flower-2540931). *The Spruce Crafts*. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

1. ["David Lister on Kusudamas"](http://www.britishorigami.info/lister/kusudamas.php). *www.britishorigami.info*. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

1. mulatinho. ["origami-galerie"](http://www.origami-galerie.de/yorokobi/index.htm). *www.origami-galerie.de*. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

1. ["Step-By-Step Kusudama Flower Ball"](https://www.homedit.com/kusudama-flower/). *Home Decorating Trends - Homedit*. 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

1. ["Traditional Japanese kusudama"](http://origami-art.us/instructions/112-traditional-japanese-kusudama). *origami-art.us*. Retrieved 2018-07-24.

## Further reading

- *Unit Origami: Multidimensional Transformation* [Tomoko Fuse](/source/Tomoko_Fuse), Japan Publications, 1990, ISBN 978-0-87040-852-6
- *Floral Origami Globes* (New Kusudama) [Tomoko Fuse](/source/Tomoko_Fuse), Japan Publications Trading, 2007, ISBN 978-4-88996-213-0
- *Kusudama Origami* [Tomoko Fuse](/source/Tomoko_Fuse), Japan Publications, 2002, ISBN 978-4-88996-087-7
- *Kusudama: Ball Origami* Makoto Yamaguchi, Japan Publications, 1990, ISBN 978-0-87040-863-2
- *Origami Ornaments: The Ultimate Kusudama Book* Lew Rozelle, St. Martin's Griffin, 2000 ISBN 978-0-312-26369-0
- *Origami Flower Ball (Origami Hana Kusudama) (in Japanese)* Yoshihide Momotani, Ishizue Publishers, 1994, ISBN 978-4-900747-02-9
- *Marvelous Modular Origami* Meenakshi Mukerji, A K Peters. 2007, ISBN 978-1-56881-316-5

## External links

- [OrigamiTube.com Learn how to fold kusudama in motion.](https://web.archive.org/web/20080527213325/http://origamitube.com/)
- [The few good Kusudams with diagrams.](https://web.archive.org/web/20160403162816/http://paper-life.ru/en/kusudama)
- [Video tutorial: How to Fold a Japanese Paper Ball (Kusudama)](http://www.metacafe.com/watch/374320/how_to_fold_a_japanese_paper_ball_kusudama/) [Archived](https://web.archive.org/web/20121005203029/http://www.metacafe.com/watch/374320/how_to_fold_a_japanese_paper_ball_kusudama/) 2012-10-05 at the Wayback Machine
- [kusudama by Atelier Puupuu: diagrams of making kusudama](http://puupuu.gozaru.jp/)
- [kusudama by Lukasheva Ekaterina many models, diagrams and tutorial](http://kusudama.me/)
- [kusudama by Prw : Project 1000 kusudama, diagrams and video tutorial](http://prworigami.com/)
- [Kusudama by Mikhail Puzakov & Ludmila Puzakova: new models, folding instruction, history, geometry](https://web.archive.org/web/20130923164941/http://kusudam.in/) (in Russian)

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kusudama](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusudama) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kusudama?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.