This model is based on the hero of one of the most popular kabuki plays in Japan: Shibaraku. Shibaraku is essentially about the fight between good and evil (and how the "good" prevails at the very last moment) and revolves around the brave warrior Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa who is the hero of the kabuki play. In a pivotal scene, where innocent people are about to be executed by a gang of villains, he shouts "Shibaraku!" (English for "Just a moment!") from behind the curtain before coming out and defeating the enemies.
I actually had folded Shibaraku before but unlike the first design from 1999, this revised version from 2014 features plenty of improvements in the armor and the head area. Since kabuki is known for its very glamorous costumes and elaborate make-up, I wanted to add a lot of drama to my interpretation and chose a very dynamic yet elegant pose to create the hero's powerful entrance. The way his clothes and his sideburns move with the dancing motion and also how delicately he is holding the fan adds to the flamboyant and heavy-stylized nature of kabuki plays.
I actually had folded Shibaraku before but unlike the first design from 1999, this revised version from 2014 features plenty of improvements in the armor and the head area. Since kabuki is known for its very glamorous costumes and elaborate make-up, I wanted to add a lot of drama to my interpretation and chose a very dynamic yet elegant pose to create the hero's powerful entrance. The way his clothes and his sideburns move with the dancing motion and also how delicately he is holding the fan adds to the flamboyant and heavy-stylized nature of kabuki plays.
Original Work
Interpretation
Creator:
Hojyo Takashi
Category:
Figurative
Type:
Interpretation
Creation Date:
Where to find diagrams:
Origami Works of Takashi Hojyo