Chinese Paper Cutting
Good morning everyone! Today I will take you to a fairly new world, that is the world of Chinese paper cutting, a traditional folk art in China. Walking through this aisle, we can see ‘Chinese Paper Cutting’ in the blue sky. Now let us go to the world of paper cutting to enjoy its unique beauty.
Do you know what this is? It is a Chinese zodiac of paper cutting. They are wonderful, right?
Now I will introduce it from fie following five aspects: a brief introduction of it, its origin, the process of making a paper cutting, its uses and its status. And then i will introduce them respectively.
Chinese Paper Cutting is the art of cutting paper designs, since paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han Dynasty in China. The art form later spread to other parts of the world with different regions adopting their own cultural styles. Because the cut outs are also used to decorate doors and windows, they are sometimes referred to "chuāng huā", meaning Window Flower. (This is a paper cutting "Window Flower" used during Chinese New Year)
Now let’s see its origin. Paper-cut is a very distinctive visual art of Chinese handicrafts. It originated from the 6th century when women used to paste golden and silver foil cuttings onto their hair at the temples, and men used them in sacred rituals. Later, they were used during festivals to decorate gates and windows. After hundreds of years of development, now they have become a very popular means of decoration among country folk, especially women.
Then goes the process.There are two methods of manufacture: one use scissors, the other use knives. In the scissor method, several pieces of paper —up to eight —are fastened together. The motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors. Knife cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the paper with a sharp knife which is usually held vertically. Skilled crafters can even cut out
different drawings freely without stopping.
Since it is so special, you may wonder what functions they have. Now let’s see its uses. It is mostly for decoration. People find hope and comfort in expressing wishes with paper cuttings. For example: for a wedding ceremony, red paper cuttings are a traditional and required decoration on the tea set, the dressing table glass, and on other furniture. A big red paper character 'Xi' (happiness) is a traditional must on the newlywed's door. Upon the birthday party of a senior, the character 'Shou' represents longevity and will add delight to the whole celebration; while a pattern of plump children cuddling fish signifies that every year they will be abundant in wealth. (This is the cutting to celebrate the birthday of the senior, and this one is a plump boy cuddling a fish used in the new year.) Finally, let’s see its status. Although paper cutting is popular around the globe, only the Chinese paper cut was listed in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists, which was in 2009. The Chinese paper-cutting was recognized and listed because it has a history of more than 1500 years and it represents cultural values of the people throughout China. Modern paper cutting has developed into a commercial industry. Paper cutting remains popular in contemporary China, especially during special events like the Chinese New Year or weddings.
OK now, look at this one! The left of the cutting are the same as the right side, so it is a symmetrical cut. As for this one, it’s Daiyu in A Dream In Red Mansion which is one of the four classical novels in Chinese history. It is not a symmetrical cut, but an asymmetrical one.
After my introduction, I believe you have learned much about Chinese traditional folk art. I hope you can enjoy your next journey in China. That is all for my introduction. Thanks for your support and cooperation!。