What is a tato?

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Gerardo
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What is a tato?

Post by Gerardo »

I've been thinking about proposing a tato creation challenge. The problem is that I believe there isn't much clarity about what constitutes a tato and what doesn't. So I tried to look for different extracts from the web that might help build a definition. Here's what I've found:

"Tatos are of Japanese origin: they are flat, decorative packets used to store small items such as buttons, thread, and needles." http://www.origami-resource-center.com/tato.html

"Tato is a flat Japanese box or pouch." http://www.origami-instructions.com/origami-tato.html

"A tato is a traditional Japanese pouch." http://www.cclocator.com/en/video/?v=jf ... ys&lang=en

"Tatos can contain a message or small flat items inside, so they can be used as envelopes to hold party favors, invitations, thank you notes or cards." http://www.artisbellus.com/2011/01/butt ... model.html

"A <<tato>> is a small kind of folded purse or envelope."
"Eric Kenneway gives clear explanation with instructions for making a tato in his book, <<Complete Origami>> on page 167. His account is succinct: <<A tato is a traditional kind of folded paper purse in which a Japanese housewife keeps small items such as needles, ends of thread, buttons and so on. Some people consider them to be useful for keeping postage stamps, too.>>"
"in Heian times a tato was a kind of paper container or envelope. Later it tended to become more ornate and complex."
"It was a generic name for a small envelope or container used for keeping small items, what we should call <<trifles>>." http://www.britishorigami.info/academic ... _folds.php

The first one is my favorite. OK, so for now it's clear that it's a container, it's pretty much flat, and it's decorative. Is that all?

I have the following questions regarding tato:

1. Does a tato closes over its center or do they sometimes also close by one of its edges for example?

2. Is the back of a tato made from the center of the sheet or are they sometimes made from another area or areas of the sheet?

3. Is a tato folded from a regular polygon (square, pentagon, hexagon, etc.) or are they sometimes folded from rectangles or equilateral straight triangles?

4. Is a tato's resulting shape that of a regular polygon or do they sometimes end up with sides of different lengths?

5. Is a tato symmetrical, being its right half a rotated version or a mirror image of what's in its left half, or are they sometimes assymetrical?

6. To open a tato do you pull opposite flaps or tips or can you sometimes open it by pulling a single flap or tip?

Can you please help me by answering those five questions? That way I can have a better idea to propose for the challenge.

Although all the following are flat origami packets, I don't think they are tato? Am I wrong? Why "yes" or why "not"?

http://www.cheapvegetablegardener.com/m ... d-packets/

https://www.etsy.com/listing/103297422/ ... ng-pau-red

http://www.ranjeetrao.com/wp-content/up ... cket_w.jpg

http://www.nickrobinson.info/origami/pe ... /mom44.htm

http://www.pajarita.org/foro/viewtopic. ... 170#p33817

Thanks in advance guys!
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