Napkin folding
Napkin folding
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
An illustration of napkin folding published in 1657
Napkin folding is a type of decorative folding done with a napkin. It can be done as art or as a hobby. Napkin folding is most commonly encountered as a table decoration in fancy restaurants.[1] Typically, and for best results, a clean, pressed, and starched square cloth (linen or cotton) napkin is used.[2] There are variations in napkin folding in which a rectangular napkin, a napkin ring, a glass, or multiple napkins may be used.
Contents
1 History
2 Common napkin folds
3 See also
4 References
5 Further reading
6 External links
History[edit]
The earliest instruction manual for the artistic folding of napkins was published in 1639 by Matthia Gieger, a German meat carver working in Padua, as a part of a series of treatises on culinary arts titled Le tre trattati.[3] Napkin folding has a centuries-old history[4] and dates back to the times of Louis XIV of France (5 September 1638 – 1 September 1715), known as Louis the Great (Louis le Grand) or the Sun King (le Roi-Soleil), was a monarch of the House of Bourbon who ruled as King of France from 1643 until his death.[5] The shift of the napkin from simply a folded cloth to a folded art object occurred in the 16th century in Florence, Italy around the same as voluminous clothing, such as ballooned sleeves, had become fashionable among the wealthy.[6] Rather than simply laying a tablecloth flat on a table, starched linens were folded into large centerpieces, called "triumphs," that could depict a variety of real and mythical animals, natural elements and architectural forms.[6] A popular gift wedding guests received during this time was a personally folded napkin that distinguished whether they were related to the bride or groom.[6] In the mid-18th century, table setting practices were so specific that in Germany there were particular traditions on how to fold napkins, display figures at the table and arrange plate.[7] During this golden age of napkin folding, there was a school in Nuremberg devoted entirely to this art and butlers had shelves of instructional books to keep up with the changes in the field.[3] Napkin folding in the form of table sculptures began being replaced by porcelain decorations during the 18th century.[3]
Common napkin folds[edit]
An example of a fan-style folded napkin
- Bishop's Hat
- Buffet fold (rectangular pocket)
- Candle
- Diagonal pocket
- Dress Shirt
- Envelope
- Fan
- Fleur-de-lis
- Iris
- Lotus (water lily)
- Rose
See also[edit]
- Napkin folding problem
- Origami
- Table setting
References[edit]
^ Kuhn, Doris (2005). Napkin Folding for Every Occasion. New York: Sterling Publishing. p. 9. ISBN 9781402728020. "It is no accident that fine restaurants have long preserved the art of napkin folding as an important element of presentation."
^ "Napkin Folding Ideas". Marthastewart.com. Retrieved 2013-05-07.
^ abc "The History and Techniques of Napkin Folding". www.ediblegeography.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
^ Hetzer, Linda (2001). The Simple Art of Napkin Folding: 94 Fancy Folds for Every Tabletop Occasion. Robert Penny (1st William Morrow pbk. ed.). New York, N.Y.: William Morrow. p. 7. ISBN 9780060934897. Retrieved 26 February 2013. "More than three centuries ago, napkin folding was developed into an art, ..."
^ Kuhn, Doris (2005). Napkin Folding for Every Occasion. New York: Sterling Publishing. pp. 9–10. ISBN 9781402728020.
^ abc "Unfolding The History Of Napkin Art". Retrieved 2016-09-29.
^ Tattersall, Bruce. "Table Services and Ornament". Oxford Art Online. Grove Art Online.
Further reading[edit]
- Kuhn, Doris (2005). Napkin Folding for Every Occasion. New York: Sterling Publishing. ISBN 9781402728020.
- Oppenheimer, Lillian; Epstein, Natalie (1979). Decorative napkin folding for beginners. New York: Dover Publications. ISBN 0486237974.
- Stislow, John; Stislow, Stephanie (2008). The Best Napkin Folding Book Ever!: Add Easy Style to Any Meal. New York: Sterling Publications. ISBN 9781435104143
External links[edit]
- How-to videos on napkin folding by Videojug Arts & Crafts
- Step-by-step visual and written instructions for a variety of napkin folds by Napkinfoldingguide.com
- Napkin folding ideas from Martha Stewart
- How-to videos and written instructions for 24 popular napkin folds from Bright Settings
 | This textile arts article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
Categories:
- Textile arts
- Textile arts stubs
(window.RLQ=window.RLQ||).push(function()mw.config.set("wgPageParseReport":"limitreport":"cputime":"0.176","walltime":"0.211","ppvisitednodes":"value":1712,"limit":1000000,"ppgeneratednodes":"value":0,"limit":1500000,"postexpandincludesize":"value":15092,"limit":2097152,"templateargumentsize":"value":2551,"limit":2097152,"expansiondepth":"value":16,"limit":40,"expensivefunctioncount":"value":0,"limit":500,"unstrip-depth":"value":0,"limit":20,"unstrip-size":"value":6621,"limit":5000000,"entityaccesscount":"value":0,"limit":400,"timingprofile":["100.00% 157.031 1 -total"," 67.28% 105.657 1 Template:Reflist"," 34.40% 54.012 6 Template:ISBN"," 33.83% 53.119 4 Template:Cite_web"," 13.88% 21.791 6 Template:Catalog_lookup_link"," 12.54% 19.686 1 Template:Div_col"," 9.72% 15.257 1 Template:Textile-arts-stub"," 8.52% 13.373 1 Template:Asbox"," 7.53% 11.817 6 Template:Error-small"," 5.44% 8.544 18 Template:Yesno-no"],"scribunto":"limitreport-timeusage":"value":"0.053","limit":"10.000","limitreport-memusage":"value":2833893,"limit":52428800,"cachereport":"origin":"mw1256","timestamp":"20180818165146","ttl":1900800,"transientcontent":false);mw.config.set("wgBackendResponseTime":83,"wgHostname":"mw1331"););
Clash Royale CLAN TAG
