Unicorn

Unicorn. My own design. Folded from 15cm kami, approx 7cm tall.

(I’ve posed the unicorn on an unfolded sheet of kami with which I had been doing some trial-and-error folding.)

A good origami unicorn has been a kind of “holy grail” for me since seeing Blade Runner; I’m sure a large proportion of origami enthusiasts will be familiar with the unicorn folded by Gaff (played by Edward James Olmos). I have found instructions here, but disappointingly, the model involves two sheets of paper, a cut, and glue. I prefer the “purist” approach of one square, no cuts.

(Incidentally, the “one square, no cuts” rule is, contrary to popular belief, a fairly recent development. Many of the more complex traditional models involve significant cuts to the paper. Montroll and Lang go into some detail regarding this issue in the introduction of Origami Sea Life.)

Anyhoo… this unicorn is not an ideal solution; it is impressionistic and only has one hind leg. (It’s a tripod rather than a tetropod!) The yellow sheet I have it posed on is the remains of some experimentation trying to work out a four-legged unicorn. The result of such trial-and-error does tend to be ripped paper. A model suitable for display can only be made when a satisfactory design is discovered, and re-folded from a new square. Hence the lack of my own designs on here!