---
title: Rainy days and paper apes
categories:
- culture
content-tags:
- origami
---

As Saturday's weather did not invite cycling, I amused myself by building a paper sculpture of a [Sumatran Orangutan][1], courtesy of [Yamaha Motor Co][2].  The results were satisfying, considering I found only a dull razor blade and a glue stick to work with.

   [1]: http://www.orangutans-sos.org/
   [2]: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/entertainment/papercraft/animal/world/orang-utan/

They have a [wide variety of models][3] for download.  I am reminded of paper buildings I once assembled at my grandmother's, I believe they might have been Geoffrey Heighway models, similar to [Build Your Own Chicago][4] but a bit more [complicated][4].

   [3]: http://www.yamaha-motor.co.jp/global/entertainment/papercraft/
   [4]: http://www.bildrum.se/paper.htm

There are a lot of [models freely available on the web][5].  The Japanese have really taken to "papercraft", with more [corporate site candy][6], [simple][7] [models][8] for children, [lots][9] [of][10] [cars][11] and [robots][12] for bigger kids, and of course [trout][13].  Some Brits have taken it to another level with [paper machinery][14].

   [5]: http://freepapertoys.com/
   [6]: http://bj.canon.co.jp/english/3D-papercraft/
   [7]: http://www.lifeisart.co.jp/childcalendar/craft/craft-1.html
   [8]: http://www.sonicteam.com/chao/en/gift_papercraft.html
   [9]: http://www.autoko.com/papercraft/
   [10]: http://www.mitsubishi-fto.org/info/papercraft.htm
   [11]: http://www.s2000.com/papercraft.php
   [12]: http://www.1up.com/article2/0,2053,1553036,00.asp
   [13]: http://www.itow.com/amago/papercraft/papercraft.html
   [14]: http://www.flying-pig.co.uk/
