Floral Origami Crane

Ira Blount · late 20th-early 21st Century

Outlined in metallic gold against field of red, black vines wind among silver and cream flowers on this origami paper crane. Artist Ira Blount (1918-2020) called Washington, DC home, though his work embraced international influences, including origami. The Japanese art of paper folding dates to the country’s Muromachi period, which spanned the fourteenth through sixteenth centuries. While the crane is a common origami design, it recalls a longer tradition that connects Blount to a global community of practitioners.