Who owns a copy of Viva! Origami by Jun Maekawa?

qtrollip · Post by **qtrollip** » April 12th, 2008, 6:46 am

Well, I cant tell you when last I folded something from diagrams in a book, and I probably will not even fold anything from this book either. I have not been on a mission to find this book to fold the models in it. It has just been a mission, just like some on this forum is on a mission to fold something specific (eg Godzebu and the Ryu-jin). It is just a book I've always wanted.

One of the first books I bought when internet came out was Peter Engel's "Origami from Angelfish to Zen". Maekawa's Devil (picture only) was in there and since then I've been looking for this book. So about 12 years now!
When I first met my Japanese girlfriend, one of the first things I asked her was to send an email in Japanese to find out how I could get this book. She thought I was weird...well, I probably am! Anyway, no matter what, it didnt seem like I was ever going to own Viva! Origami!
Recently I bought it from another forum member and I paid alot of money for Viva! Origami, but I can always recover that money. I might not ever have the chance again of being able to acquire this book. That's the way I see it!

pharmjod · Post by **pharmjod** » April 12th, 2008, 2:31 pm

Hey, I've been known to go over the top to fill a collection, so I understand :) I'm working on adding to my existing library as well, and that will only continue to get expensive. Enjoy it when you get it though!

Joe the white · Post by **Joe the white** » April 12th, 2008, 7:20 pm

Its a valuable piece to any origami library. I'd love to have that set, but the 3rd and 4th books are very rare and supposedly had copyright issues which gave them a limited print run. The book I chased after for a long while, Akira Yoshizawa's Exhibition Catalog, I found online last year. Now if I can only find this stubborn Randlett book...

HankSimon · Post by **HankSimon** » April 12th, 2008, 9:56 pm

Which Randlett ?

Best of Origami, Art of Origami, or ???

Art ... is available from Amazon, but you may need to be precise about which one.

Best... seems to be overpriced,
Look at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Best-Origami-Mo ... 0571102751

You might join OUSA and get it on loan:
http://www.west.asu.edu/ousalibrary/viewcollection.cfm

- Hank Simon

Joe the white · Post by **Joe the white** » April 12th, 2008, 10:29 pm

Best of Origami is the one I think, I remember Whistler's Mother in it by Fred Rohm and some biographies on folders of the time. I had rented it from my college's library once, at the time I looked online and saw it for $170 and had to pass. I might have my chance now though, thanks.

chesslo · Post by **chesslo** » April 13th, 2008, 3:16 am

wow, these books are so cool

HankSimon · Post by **HankSimon** » April 13th, 2008, 6:38 pm

Yes. Whistler's Mother is on p. 102 of Best of Origami. If you like those styles, then I also recommend all four of the Robert Harbin Art of Origami set. They are very hard to find, but not impossible. I especially like models by Patricia Crawford - 'complex' two-color models that use intermediate techniques that are accessible by those of us who are CP-challenged.

I strongly recommend that you try to buy Best of Origami now, if the price is right from one of those sites (Amazon.UK ?), then if you still have the cash, let me know and I can see about tracking down some of the Harbin books.

- Hank Simon

merman · Post by **merman** » April 13th, 2008, 6:56 pm

Many years ago I visited a convention in the UK that had Yoshizawa as their special guest. I attended a masterclass by him and I bough the book Origami: Living Nature ( http://www.giladorigami.com/BO_Livingnature.html for a description ).

It was signed by the master himself...

Unfortunatly it is already coming apart, even though I hardly looked at it. It is very poor binding.

Since we are talking about collector's items: if there is anyone who really wants it please send me a message. I am sure we can work something out. I hardly look at it anyway...

Joe the white · Post by **Joe the white** » April 14th, 2008, 12:02 am

I should be able to. I love classic origami books, but I don't have all that many. I started my collection off with Secrets of Origami (1971 edition) and enjoyed the wealth of information inside. I've been going down the bibliography in the back and trying to collect those mostly. I have the Art of Paperfolding series besides number 4, which I hear is notoriously tricky to find in english. I'm also after "Origami in the Classics" which was an NOA publication back in 1993. A bit more on the obscure side. I'm more after the history and model evolution and techniques than the diagrams, though I am a fan of Patricia Crawford's works. Multi-subject models like hers and Neal Elias' have always fascinated me.

qtrollip · Post by **qtrollip** » April 26th, 2008, 5:48 am

I received my original copy of Viva! Origami totay, it is in excellent condition, and is a great a book as I had hoped it to be!!!
Christmas came early this year!!
(Thank you merman)

fallingblox · Post by **fallingblox** » December 29th, 2009, 10:00 pm

If it's not too much to ask, how much did you end up paying for your copy of Viva? I'm looking to sell mine and I can't get a gauge on its true value in today's market. I know it's not as rare as the last two in the series, but there aren't even any recent sales on Ebay so I'm at a loss. PM me if you don't want to post in this forum.

andssl · Post by **andssl** » December 29th, 2009, 11:21 pm

If you have interest and an account in amazon, I have interest in buying this book

The Origami Forum

Who owns a copy of Viva! Origami by Jun Maekawa?

buy viva origami