Chiyogami (Japanese paper with colored figures) (千代紙)
"Chiyogami" is square sheets of Japanese paper with crests or patterns used for a traditional play in Japan called "origami" (paper folding), making costumes of paper dolls, or covering handicraft or presentation box for decoration purpose. It is also called "origami."
In this section, those made of western paper is treated as "origami," and others made of Japanese paper as "chiyogami."
Summary
Chiyogami often refers to square sheets of paper with Japanese traditional crests or patterns, and especially those made of Japanese paper are called "chiyogami." Generally, it is often called in the same way as origami but, today, those square sheets of paper made of western paper with patterns are called "origami" and those made of Japanese paper are called "chiyogami." Color woodblock prints are used for the paper's designs and patterns.
There are several theories for its origin: one is that ukiyoe (Japanese woodblock prints) artists started to make it in the Edo period; the other is that it was started to be used in the O-oku (the inner halls of Edo Castle where the wife of the Shogun and her servants reside); or that it was invented by Kenshoin (Kazutoyo YAMAUCHI's lawful wife) in the late Sengoku period (period of warring states).