Paper-cuts
Paper-cuts
Paper-cutting is one of the most popular folk arts in China. According to archeology, its history can be traced back to the sixth century AD, but people think It actually started hundreds of years earlier than that. Paper-cutting is often used in religious ceremonies, decoration and plastic arts.
In the past, people often used paper to make various shapes of objects and figures, and buried them with the deceased or burned them at funerals. This custom can still be seen sometimes outside China. The art of paper cutting generally has symbolic meaning and is part of this ritual. In addition, paper cuttings are also used as decorations for offerings to ancestors and gods.
It is generally popular probably because of its easily available materials, low cost, immediate effect, and wide adaptability; and because it is most suitable for rural women to make in their spare time, it can be used as a practical object and beautify their lives. Paper-cutting can be seen all over the country, and even different local styles have been formed. Paper-cutting not only expresses the aesthetic preferences of the masses, but also contains the deep social psychology of the nation. It is also one of the most distinctive folk arts in China, and its modeling characteristics are particularly worthy of study.
Nowadays, paper cutting is used more for decoration. Paper-cutting can be used to decorate walls, doors, windows, pillars, mirrors, lamps and lanterns, etc. It can also be used as decoration for gifts. Even the paper-cutting itself can be given as a gift to others. People used to use paper cuttings as models for embroidery and spray painting art.
Paper cutting is not made by machine but by hand. There are two commonly used methods: scissors and knife. As the name suggests, scissor cutting uses scissors. After cutting, several (usually no more than 8) paper cuts are pasted together, and finally sharp scissors are used to process the pattern. For knife and scissors, the paper is first folded into several folds, placed on a soft mixture of ash and animal fat, and then slowly scored with a knife. Paper-cutting artists usually hold the knife vertically and process the paper into the desired pattern according to a certain model. Compared with scissors, one advantage of knives and scissors is that they can be processed into multiple paper-cut patterns at one time.
In rural areas, paper-cutting is usually done by women and girls. In the past, this was a handicraft art that every girl must master, and it was also used as a standard for judging brides. Professional paper-cutting artists are often men, because only men can work together in the workshop and earn wages.
History
According to research, since the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 BC), some people have used gold and silver foil, leather or silk fabrics to make hollow and carved decorations. During the excavation of the Warring States ruins in Guwei Village, Huixian County, Henan Province from 1950 to 1952, arc-shaped decorations hollowed out and carved with silver foil were discovered. Although these decorations hollowed out with silver foil cannot be said to be paper-cutting, in terms of carving technology and artistic style, they can be said to have formed the predecessor of paper-cutting art.
In the Western Han Dynasty, people used hemp fiber to make paper. It is said that after the death of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty, his favorite concubine Li, the emperor missed her so much that he could not sleep well and couldn't eat well, so he asked a magician to cut out the image of Concubine Li with hemp paper. To evoke its spirit, this is probably the earliest paper-cutting. In 105 AD, Cai Lun improved and promoted the experience of his predecessors and began to make large amounts of paper. This form of carving found a more popular material and gave birth to the art of paper-cutting, which has a history of more than 2,000 years. Use paper to cut beautiful patterns. The earliest and well-documented discovery was near the Flame Mountain in Turpan, Xinjiang. Five paper-cuts of Tuanhua in the Northern and Southern Dynasties were unearthed: Duanhua Tuanhua; Duanhua Tuanhua; Duanhua Tuanhua; Honeysuckle Tuanhua; Chrysanthemum. Tuan Hua; eight-purpose shaped Tuanhua.
In the Tang Dynasty, paper-cut patterns were applied to other crafts. From the Han Dynasty to the Tang Dynasty, a gold and silver inlay technology appeared, which involves pasting engraved gold and silver foils on the back of lacquerware or bronze mirrors, filling them with lacquer and polishing them dry, to reveal a brilliant golden pattern on the lacquer floor.
During the Tang and Song dynasties, the custom of "engraving gold for success" was popular. "Sheng" is a pattern cut and carved from paper, gold and silver foil, or silk. Those cut into square geometric shapes are called "Fang Sheng"; those cut into flowers and grass shapes are called "Huasheng". Those in human form are called "human beings".
Liang Zongmao of the Southern Dynasty recorded in "Jingchu Sui Sui Ji": "The seventh day of the first lunar month is the Human Day." The sun is ox, the horse is on the sixth day, the people are on the seventh day, and the grain is on the eighth day. If the sun is sunny, the things it controls will be prosperous, and if it is cloudy, the people will be the most important. Plant vegetables to make soup; cut ribbons to make people, or carve gold foil to make people, and put them on screens, or wear them on the temples; and make beautiful flowers to give them to each other."
Du Fu, a great poet of the Tang Dynasty, wrote "Human Day" as a poem. He wrote a poem with the title: "On this day and at this time, people are in love, chatting, laughing and looking at each other. The cypress leaves in front of you are resting with the wine, and the golden flowers are clever and cold-resistant." Another famous poet of the Tang Dynasty, Li Shangyin, also wrote " The poem "Ren Ri", the poem says: "The engraved gold work spreads the customs of Jing Dynasty, and the ribbon-cutting brings the style of Jin to people." Among the cultural relics unearthed in Xinjiang in the 1960s, there is also a paper-cut of Ren Sheng from the Tang Dynasty, with seven female figures arranged in a row. This sheng is used to decorate the bun.
In Shosoin in Japan, there are two pieces of Huasheng from the Tang Dynasty. According to Japan’s "Records of Miscellaneous Wealth and Materials" in the third year of Qiheng (856 AD): "Two pieces of people win...Tianping Baozi Yuan" "On the twenty-fourth day of the eighth lunar month, the first year of Japan's Tianping Baozi was the second year of Zhide in the Tang Dynasty (757 AD). One of them has Luodi gold foil characters, with the auspicious words cut on it: "May the festival be happy, the blessings will be new, the peace will last forever, and the longevity will last for thousands of springs." The other one has complex borders engraved with gold foil and decorated with red Among the green flowers and leaves, in the center is a child playing with a dog under the bamboo forest.
At that time, there was also a popular kind of small flag cut from double silk silk, called Chunfan, or Banner Sheng or Chun Sheng. On the day of the Beginning of Spring, it was used as a holiday gift or as a hairpin on the head. Either hung on a willow branch or attached to a screen. Among the poems passed down by Cui Daorong, there is such a sentence: "If you want to cut the word Yichun, you will use scissors in the cold spring." The "Yichun post" mentioned here is the "paper-cut art work" that people are familiar with now. Li Shangyin wrote in "Poetry of Jiao'er": "Please tell me that spring is the best, spring is the best of Yichun." This means that Master Jiaoergun asked his father to write the word "Yichun" on the spring flag made by cutting the ribbon. Because the Beginning of Spring is the first day of spring, symbolizing the revival and prosperity of all things, during the Tang and Song Dynasties, the folk activity of ribbon-cutting gradually became concentrated on the Beginning of Spring. On the Beginning of Spring, people cut various banners, spring streamers, spring swallows, spring butterflies, etc. etc., as holiday gifts. The emperor also met with his ministers on this day and presented them with gold and silver banners or Luo banners respectively. Duan Chengshi's "Youyang Zazu" said: "On the first day of spring, in the homes of scholar-bureaucrats, paper cuts are made into small pans, which are either hung on the heads of beauties, or decorated under flowers, or cut into spring butterflies, and they are used to play with spring.
There are many records about paper-cutting in the Song Dynasty. During the Southern Song Dynasty, there were already artists who specialized in paper-cutting. Some were good at cutting "various calligraphy", and some specialized in "cutting various colors". Some people use paper cuttings as decorations for gifts, some stick them on windows, some decorate them with lights, and some cut them into so-called "dragon and tiger" shapes. At this time, shadow puppets are popular, and the materials for carving shadow puppets include animal skins. , also made of thick paper. Zhou Mi's "Zhiyatang Miscellaneous Notes" records: At that time, in Peiliang, the capital, "there were people cutting various patterns in the old Tiandu Street, which were extremely exquisite and could be made according to their wishes." Also, there are those who have more respect for Zhongwa, and every time they cut the calligraphy of each family, they will be special. Later, suddenly a young man was able to cut words and flowers on his sleeves. He is more proficient in two people, so he is famous for being good at it. "It is the "Kaifeng" mansion, and "cut pattern" naturally refers to "paper cutting."
Li Qingzhao, a female poet in the Song Dynasty, wrote in a poem "Bodhisattva Man": "The phoenix hairpin is bright at the bottom of the candle, A hairpin-headed person wins over lightness. "There is a kind of bird, which is named the hoopoe because it has a large golden crest on its head that looks like a flag holding a flag. In Wei Yingwu's "Listening to the Song of Orioles", "The shrike makes a cramped sound when it flies by, and the mulberry fields are green when the hoopoe falls. " has become a symbol of spring returning to the earth.
"Sui Shi Guang Ji" written by Chen Yuanliang of the Song Dynasty records: "On New Year's Day, cut forty-nine flags from crow-green paper or green silk, and surround a large flag, or the age of the parents. Contain it, or stick it on the door.
An important creation of paper-cutting used for craft decoration in the Song Dynasty was the porcelain of Jizhou kiln. The products include tea cups and vases, etc., with many patterns and themes, including phoenix, plum blossom, loquat and auspicious characters, etc., with vivid shapes and Lively, it was made by the author during the glazing process, pasting paper cuts on it and firing it in the kiln.
Modern folk blue printed cloth is made from carved cardboard and then imitation dyed to show patterns. This printing and dyeing process has been very common in the Song Dynasty, and the Southern Song Dynasty printed cloth unearthed in Shanxi Province is an example.
There are also records of famous paper-cutting masters in the notes and local chronicles of the Ming and Qing dynasties. For example, "Suzhou Prefecture Chronicle" records: "Zhao E, Jiajing Zhong made gauze lanterns. They were carved into the shape of flowers, bamboos and birds with paper, with light and thick colors. Dissolve wax and dye, and use light silk to clamp it. Reflect the sun. The light is clear, the flowers are dancing, and it is indistinguishable from the light smoke. "The gauze lanterns of the Ming Dynasty are very famous. It is paper cutting sandwiched in yarn. Using candlelight to reflect patterns is another application of paper-cutting in daily life. Now people call it "revolving lantern".
The "Jiande County Chronicle of Yanzhou" records: "Lin Wenyao, whose courtesy name is Gangzhai, was a workman at a young age. He became blind in middle age. He cut paper to make characters. His movements were like dragons and snakes, and his stippling was not bad at all." Decorated into a shaft, people call it "Lin Jian Day." "Baoding Prefecture Chronicle" records: "The famous woman is the daughter of Zhang Caigong." If you have clever ideas, you can chat with people, and you can cut spring flowers, autumn chrysanthemums, and weeping poplars from your sleeves. He is in a state of ecstasy; his cutting of the incense boxes is extremely ingenious and eye-catching, and those who get them will treasure them.
Chen Yunbo of the Qing Dynasty said in "New Odes of the Painting Forest": "Cutting paintings. In the Southern Song Dynasty, some people could cut words on their sleeves, which is no different from the ancients. In recent years, Bao Jun of Yangzhou is the best at this, especially landscapes, figures, Flowers, birds, grass and insects are all wonderful." There is also a poem that says: "Cutting pictures is smarter than cutting books. Flying flowers and birds swim beside fish. If the spring breeze is good in February, cutting out weeping poplars may not be as good." During the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, there was a court painter. Zou Yuandou painted a custom painting "Sui Chao Picture Scroll" that wishes the beginning of the new year. The upper end of the painting is painted with five colorful paper-cut "mencages" hanging. The form of the door letter evolved from the spring banner.
In the Qing Dynasty, because the Manchu people had the custom of paper-cutting, paper-cutting entered the palace. In the Forbidden City, Shenning Palace, where emperors of all dynasties held weddings, used paper as their bridal chamber. The walls were papered according to Manchu customs, with black paper-cut corner flowers with the word Double Happiness pasted on the four corners, and black paper-cut flowers with dragons and phoenixes in the center of the ceiling; on the aisle walls on both sides of the palace Also attached are horn flowers. It is said that someone cut a "Liuhe Spring" pattern with deer, crane and pine out of paper, painted it and pasted it on the court clothes. Even the Queen Mother of the West thought it was embroidered.
It can be said that the art of paper-cutting has never been interrupted since its birth. Its wide circulation, large quantity, numerous styles and deep foundation are more outstanding than any other art. In various folk activities, she is present everywhere, attaching beauty to life and enriching life. In her unique way, she silently arouses people's pursuit of life, belief in life, and hope for the prosperity of the country and the people. ; She embellishes people's ordinary lives so magnificently and fully embodies our Chinese nation's pursuit and yearning for truth, goodness and beauty; she thrives to meet people's higher social spiritual needs.
Nowadays, the world of paper-cutting is even broader. It has already walked out of the small courtyards of farmers and entered the vast world of modern design. It is used in product packaging design, trademark advertising, interior decoration, clothing design, etc. Her influence can be seen in book binding, stamp design, newspaper and magazine inscriptions, comics, stage art, animation, film and television, etc. She has also gone global and become famous all over the world, becoming a cultural wealth and artistic treasure for all mankind. With the course of history, many ethnic and traditional things have been gradually diluted and obliterated. However, the sign of true civilization should be the coexistence and simultaneous development of traditional culture and modern culture. May this ancient tree of art remain evergreen.
Schools of paper-cutting
Yuxian paper-cutting, Fengning Manchu paper-cutting, Zhongyang paper-cutting, Yiwulushan Manchu paper-cutting, Yangzhou paper-cutting, Yueqing fine-grained paper-cutting, Guangdong paper-cutting, Dai paper-cutting, An Plug paper-cutting, magnetic paper-cutting
Paper-cutting·Yuxian paper-cutting
Yuxian County, Hebei Province
Yuxian County is located in the northwest of Hebei Province and is famous for its paper-cutting. Yuxian paper-cutting, also known as "window flower", is a traditional local decorative art with a history of more than 200 years. The initial patterns were mostly auspicious patterns such as flowers, which were later integrated into the Tianjin Yangliuqing paintings and Wuqiang New Year paintings. Artistic characteristics, forming its own unique style. After joint research by Liu Laobu and other paper-cutting artists, the creative tools were reformed, and the engraving knife used for some patterns was changed from single-cut cutting to batch carving, which brought new improvements to Yu County's paper-cutting craftsmanship.
At the beginning of the 20th century, driven by artists such as Wang Laoshang, Wang Shouye, and Zhou Yongming, the style of Yuxian paper-cutting became more and more prominent, breaking away from the general pattern of folk paper-cutting and acquiring a deeper humanistic connotation.
Yuxian paper-cutting is a product of civil society and a reflection of people’s lives. It has a wide range of themes and styles, including opera characters, opera masks, myths and legends, flowers, birds, fish and insects, poultry and livestock, auspicious birds and auspicious animals, etc. The craftsmanship of Yuxian paper-cutting has both the rough and rustic characteristics of northern folk paper-cutting and the delicate and beautiful style of southern paper-cutting. It has rich colors, strong contrast, strong sense of decoration, strong folk flavor, and rich rhythm. It presents a charming, simple and gorgeous artistic charm, and is favored by the world.
In the wide variety of folk paper-cutting art circles, Yuxian paper-cutting is unique in its artistic style of full composition, vivid shapes, brilliant colors and unique craftsmanship. It mainly uses intaglio carving, supplemented by yang carving, combines yin and yang, and uses multi-color point dyeing and painting to achieve an effect that is exquisite and expressive, and is both elegant and popular.
Paper-cut·Fengning Manchu Paper-cut
Fengning Manchu Autonomous County, Hebei Province
Fengning Manchu Autonomous County, Hebei Province is located in the north of Saibei. Fengning Manchu Paper-cut is popular among the people. Starting from the Kangxi period of the Qing Dynasty, to the Qianlong period, a new style with regional characteristics and national characteristics was formed. It mainly used positive carving, supplemented by negative carving, with long hair and fine cutting. At the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China, Fengning Manchu paper-cutting entered its heyday. After 1949, there was further development in form and content, making it closer to real production and life. After 1960, paper-cut art creation fell into a trough. In 1982, the Fengning folk paper-cutting team was re-established, and its works have had a wide impact at home and abroad with various exhibitions and overseas performances. In 1993, Fengning was named the “Hometown of Chinese Folk Paper-cutting Art” by the Ministry of Culture.
The content of Fengning Manchu paper-cutting can be divided into auspicious paper-cutting, flower-bird, fish-and-insect paper-cutting, landscape and scenery paper-cutting, figures, pots, baskets, dishes and bottles, melons and fruits, animals, floral character paper-cutting, etc. Judging from the form of expression, it includes single-color paper-cutting (red, white, black, etc.), spot-dyed paper-cutting, filled-color paper-cutting, multi-color combination paper-cutting and other varieties. According to the specific use, they can be divided into window flowers, hanging tags for worshiping gods and ancestors, cloudy day sweepers, seasonal paper-cuts, fireworks (celebrity paper-cuts for weddings, plain paper-cuts for funerals, etc.), and ceiling flowers for daily interior decoration. , Fengdouhua, kangwei paper-cutting, etc. Among the many folk paper-cuts in our country, Fengning Manchu paper-cuts occupy a place with their unique artistic charm.
At present, the traditional skills of Manchu paper-cutting in Fengning are mostly retained in the hands of elderly people over 70 years old. They are in danger of being lost and are in urgent need of rescue and protection.
Paper-cut·Zhongyang Paper-cut
Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province
Zhongyang County, Shanxi Province is located in the Luliang area of ??the Loess Plateau in the middle reaches of the Yellow River. The folk culture in this area is extremely profound and retains many original humanistic environments, thus forming the ancient folk cultural connotation and artistic form of Zhongyang paper-cutting.
Zhongyang paper-cutting is mainly distributed in the Nanchuan River Basin, Liujiaping area and Xishan remote mountainous area in Zhongyang County. The folk paper-cutting style of the Nanchuan River Basin is delicate, simple and elegant, and occupies the mainstream position in Zhongyang paper-cutting. The paper-cutting style of Liujiaping is simple and vigorous, while the paper-cutting style of remote areas of Xishan is rough and vigorous. They are interdependent with the mainstream style of paper-cutting in the Nanchuan River Basin, enriching the characteristics of Zhongyang paper-cutting.
Zhongyang paper-cutting is closely related to the local traditional folk culture. It takes Zhongyang’s local folk beliefs, seasons, life rituals, myths and legends as its main expressions, including fish, frogs, snakes, There are rabbit-themed decorative patterns, folk paper-cuts that match the seasons and life rituals, and paper-cut works based on folk mythology. Zhongyang paper-cutting is mostly made of red paper, reflecting the festive and warm folk atmosphere. Sometimes, according to customs, purple, black, yellow, green, blue and other colored paper are used to cut works. The main authors of Zhongyang paper-cutting are working women in the rural areas of Zhongyang. Paper-cutting is an important part of their daily lives and a concentrated expression of their aesthetic taste and intelligence. Zhongyang paper-cutting is rich in the earthy flavor of the mountains and the simple beauty of primitive art, vividly recording the ideals and pursuits of working women.
The inheritance of skills is usually spontaneous, and sometimes it is passed down through the family. At present, the main inheritors include Wang Jiru, Gao Baoxiang, Liu Yulian, Wang Zhongwen, Ma Cuilian and more than a dozen people, all of whom are over 60 years old. Once these old people leave, Zhongyang Paper-cutting will inevitably face the situation of having no successors, and will eventually die out. Therefore, measures should be taken as soon as possible to rescue it.
Paper-cut·Yiwulu Mountain Manchu Paper-cutting
Jinzhou City, Liaoning Province
The Manchu folk paper-cutting art in the Yiwulu Mountain area is based on the Manchu people's original worship of nature gods, worship of ancestor gods, and fertility The worship of reproduction and Manchu customs are the main expressions. In the primitive worship activities of the Manchu people in the Yiwulu Mountain area, they often made totem images, or carved the images of gods with tree bark or animal skins, or carved the images of gods and goddesses with wood, etc. This kind of ritual statue-making activity has been developed over the years and eventually developed into a paper-cutting art. It not only retains the humanistic characteristics of the Manchu people in Northeast China, but also has a unique art form and rich shamanic cultural connotation. It is an important historical material for studying the integration of national cultures.
Yiwulu Mountain Manchu folk paper-cutting is not only rich in content, but also simple in shape and simple in pattern. It does not require cumbersome and detailed cutting methods, nor does it seek exquisite and accurate shapes, but mainly relies on its broad and magnificent bearing and simple and ancient charm.
For hundreds of years, this Manchu folk paper-cutting art has been passed down from generation to generation in Beining City, Linghai City, Fuxin City, Yixian and other places in the Yiwulu Mountain area. In many urban and rural areas, many women participate in paper-cutting activities, producing many artists with superb skills and rich achievements, forming a genealogy passed down from generation to generation. At present, there are more than ten genealogies such as Hou Guizhi, Ma Fengyun, Huang Lianyu, and Wang Xiuxia that are still being passed down. As the older generation of artists gradually passes away, there will be few successors, and they may decline at any time under the impact of modern lifestyles. Therefore, it is necessary to formulate a plan to protect this ancient national folk art.
Paper-cut·Yangzhou Paper-cut
Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province
Yangzhou is one of the earliest areas where paper-cutting became popular in China. During the Tang and Song Dynasties, there was a "paper-cutting to announce spring" customs. Yangzhou people cut paper into flowers on the first day of spring and make them into spring butterflies, spring threads, spring flowers and other styles. They are "either hung on the heads of beauties or decorated under the flowers", which is a joy to watch. In addition, paper money, paper horses, etc. are also cut and specially used for memorial ceremonies. By the Qing Dynasty, Yangzhou's business was booming, and the number of paper-cutting artists also increased significantly. During the Jia and Dao periods, famous paper-cutting artists include Bao Jun and others. Their skills were outstanding and they were known as "magic scissors". Paper-cutting artists in Yangzhou also create embroidery patterns according to needs, ranging from door curtain edges, quilt pillowcases, to mirrors, sachets, silk handkerchiefs and pencil cases. Every embroidery must have paper patterns. Yangzhou people call paper-cutting artists "cutting patterns." of".
Yangzhou paper-cutting has graceful and smooth lines, exquisite and elegant composition, exaggerated and concise images, and innovative techniques, forming a unique "paper-cutting feel" and artistic charm. It is one of the representatives of the folk paper-cutting art in southern China. one. The paper used is mainly Anhui hand-written Xuan paper, with moderate thickness, colorless dyeing and smooth texture.
The main inheritors of modern Yangzhou paper-cutting are father and son Zhang Jinsheng (stage name "Lao Zhang San Mazi") and Zhang Yongshou (stage name "Xiao Zhang San Mazi"). Zhang Yongshou has been practicing art for more than 70 years. His paper-cutting has shifted from practical patterns to decorative thematic creations. His works show the style characteristics of realism, change, generalization and exaggeration. He summarizes it as "round as the autumn moon and sharp as wheat awns". Paper-cutting tips such as "square like green bricks, missing saw teeth, and lines like beards" have left precious "creative experience" for future generations of paper-cutting artists. Zhang Yongshou created thousands of works throughout his life, among which "Hundred Flowers Blooming", "Hundred Chrysanthemums", "Hundred Butterflies Love Flowers" and other works are of extremely high artistic value and are known as "the masterpieces of paper-cutting art". In 1989, Mr. Zhang Yongshou passed away. Although his third generation successors also achieved certain artistic achievements, their skills and aura could not surpass those of the previous generation. So far, it has become increasingly obvious that Yangzhou's paper-cutting skills have no successors. This ancient folk art is in an endangered state and urgently needs protection and support.
Paper-cut·Guangdong Paper-cut
Foshan City, Shantou City, Chaozhou City, Guangdong Province
Guangdong paper-cutting is mainly derived from Foshan paper-cutting spread in the Foshan area and popular in Chaoshan It consists of Chaoyang paper-cutting in the region and Chaozhou paper-cutting spread in the Chaozhou area. Foshan City is located in the south-central part of Guangdong Province, in the hinterland of the Pearl River Delta. Foshan paper-cutting is a folk art developed from local folk activities. It is mainly distributed in some towns and villages in Chancheng District and Nanhai District of Foshan City.
Foshan paper-cutting is said to have originated from the Central Plains. It was developed based on local folk customs, handicraft industry and commerce. By the Qing Dynasty, it had gradually become a market and guild organizations had emerged. At the beginning of the 20th century, the money related to Foshan paper-cutting, fairy tales, Fushuyi paper, stream paper, gold flowers, ground paper, dipped paper, beaten copper, copper foil, cinnabar New Year red dyed paper, flower red dyed paper, dyed paper Twelve industries, including the paper industry, are booming, with hundreds of shops and nearly 3,000 workers. The dipped paper and dyed paper of various colors they produce are the source of materials for Foshan paper-cutting.
Foshan paper-cutting is divided into four categories: solid color paper-cutting, lining paper-cutting, writing paper-cutting, and copper chisel paper-cutting. According to different materials, it can be divided into solid color material, paper lining material, copper lining material, and dyeing material. There are nine types, including woodcut overprinting materials, copper writing materials, silver writing materials, paper writing materials, and copper chisel materials. Paper-cutting techniques are divided into two categories: cutting and engraving. Cutting, mostly random cutting, two or three pieces at a time, such as gift flowers, lantern flowers, candlestick flowers for the Qiqiao Festival, incense table flowers, cake flowers, etc. are made in this way; engraving, 20 to 30 pieces can be carved at a time, rough The pattern can be engraved from 50 to 100 pieces, making it easy to copy in large quantities. The knives used in Foshan paper-cutting vary in size and are generally ground at random, with widths ranging from 3 mm to 1 mm, with a set of more than ten. When operating the knife, hold it with a brush, cut vertically, and connect the lines continuously, forming a mesh shape. Traditional Foshan paper-cutting determines its content and form based on social conditions and public opinion. The eternal themes of happiness and auspiciousness, expelling evil spirits and bringing good fortune, having many children and longevity, etc. are extremely popular among the people and have remained popular for a long time. Corresponding to this theme, Foshan paper-cutting uses the golden characteristics of copper foil and brightly colored paper to form a unique local style, and also forms unique forms of expression such as copper chisel paper-cutting. Now the main inheritors of Foshan paper-cutting skills are Lin Zaihua and others.
Foshan paper-cutting has a tradition of industrialization. Strengthening its excavation and protection will help study folk activities and folk cultural forms in the Pearl River Delta. It can also prosper the folk culture market and enhance regional cultural characteristics. However, the team of paper-cutting professionals in Foshan is currently in short supply. The most distinctive copper chisel paper-cutting cannot be made because the tools have been lost and the copper foil as the main material is no longer produced. In addition, old artists have retired or died of illness. Many traditional skills are in danger of being lost and urgently need to be saved. .
Chaoyang paper-cutting is mainly distributed in Chaoshan area of ??Guangdong Province, represented by Tongmeng, Xilu, Heping, Guiyu and other towns in Chaoyang District. The rise of Chaoyang paper-cutting is related to the Central Plains people who moved here. This paper-cutting style mostly expresses auspicious themes such as auspiciousness and celebration, good fortune and longevity, five blessings, continuous heirs, good harvests, and prosperous livestock. It is usually used in games of gods, turning off lights during the Lantern Festival, worshiping the moon during the Mid-Autumn Festival, wedding customs, and worshiping ancestors and gods. They are used as decorations in other activities to enhance the festive atmosphere. In addition, they also represent some daily life content, such as flowers, birds, insects, fish, animals, folklore, mythological stories, opera characters, ordinary people, etc. In addition to the above varieties, Chaoyang paper-cutting also has some small decorative patterns, such as offering flowers and gift flowers. Chaoyang paper-cutting is flexible in shape, symmetrical in composition, rigorous in structure, full and not messy. In particular, the layout of "flowers within flowers" is the most distinctive, with regular density and exquisite clarity. The paper-cutting technique is exquisite and delicate, mainly using positive scissors, and using negative scissors in combination. The lines of the yang shear are neat and delicate, while the lines of the yin shear are thick and powerful. Coupled with the "flower within a flower" technique, the expression is very rich.
Since the 1980s, the Chaoyang District Government has organized efforts to excavate, organize, protect and research Chaoyang folk paper-cutting. In 1989, he sorted out 181 pieces (sets) of nearly 500 patterns and published the book "Chaoyang Folk Paper-cutting". In 2003, more than fifty Chaoyang paper-cut works were included in books such as "The Complete Collection of Chinese Folk Art? Paper-cutting Volume", "China Folk Auspicious Art Expo" and "The Complete Collection of Chaoshan Folk Art? Paper-cutting Volume".
In 1997, Chaoyang District was named the "Hometown of Ethnic Folk Art (Paper-cut Art) in Guangdong Province" by the Guangdong Provincial Government. At present, the main inheritors of Chaoyang folk paper-cutting include Zhang Peilong, Cai Mingying, Li Chanxian, etc. However, the average age of the surviving old artists is over 75 years old, and there is an urgent need for young people to join in and inherit.
Chaozhou is a port city on the eastern coast of Guangdong Province. Chaozhou paper-cutting is mainly distributed in eastern Guangdong. It was popular in the Ming Dynasty, prospered in the Qing Dynasty, and reached its peak during the Guangxu period. An existing work "Bat" (Simapu Town, Chaozhou City) from the Yongzheng period of the Qing Dynasty is cut from brown silk thread. The technique is very exquisite, indicating that Chaozhou paper-cutting has already reached a high artistic level.
In the mid-Qing Dynasty, the construction of ancestral temples became popular in Chaozhou. Under this background, paper-cutting was used as a kind of ornament in folk activities such as sacrifices, festivals, traveling gods games, weddings and weddings, etc. Monks and nuns in temples also Paper-cut flowers were given as gifts to faithful men and women, and Chaozhou paper-cuts developed rapidly in temples. By the beginning of the 20th century, there were still Chaozhou paper-cut artists brought out by nuns such as Jiang Genhe, Li Mulin, Yang Xueyou, Luo Ruiyu, Gu Qiuquan, Xie Chuzhou, etc., who played a role in local paper-cut creation. After 1962, because the monks and nuns in the monasteries had no heirs and few monks became monks, Chaozhou paper-cutting gradually lost its descendants.
The themes of Chaozhou paper-cutting involve flowers, fruits, animals, characters, landscapes, text patterns, etc., and have strong local cultural characteristics. Different paper-cutting artists often have different styles of expression such as meticulousness, boldness, and elegance. Distinguished by form, Chaozhou paper-cutting can be divided into solid color, multi-color, positive carving, negative carving and other types. Chaozhou folk paper-cutting artists are good at stacking three or five pieces of colored paper together, using scissors dexterously, and cutting out various patterns with skillful skills. For example, solid color paper-cut gives full play to the characteristics of "cutting", using slender and beautiful lines to match the block surface, and using exaggeration and deformation techniques to create a lifelike artistic image. The scissors are very rich and decorative. One characteristic of solid color paper-cutting is that there is no drawing. The artists only rely on memory and imagination, holding the paper in one hand and cutting with the other, to cut out the pattern directly. This ingenious cutting method is very creative, the shape is lively and full of changes, and there are few repeated works. Multi-color paper-cutting uses multiple colors of paper to cut out various parts of the object, and then merges them into a complete paper-cutting work, which is vivid, detailed and unique.
There is a variety of Chaozhou paper-cut called "chisel paper", which is made by placing the pattern on colored paper or gold foil and carving it with a carving knife. "Chisel paper" is divided into lining paper-cut and writing paper-cut. For color-lined paper-cutting, outlines are first carved with gold foil or black paper, and then colored paper is used as a substrate; for paper-cutting, solid-color paper or gold foil is used to carve out the outline of the image, and then the base is painted with color. The most famous craft of chiseled paper is the colored chiseled paper from Luojin Village in Raoping County. The colored chiseled paper is commonly known as "big money" and is used for worshiping gods and ancestors or traveling to the gods. The content is based on opera characters, birds, beasts, insects, fish, flowers, poetry, calligraphy, etc. Lord.
Nowadays, people’s lifestyles have undergone great changes. Chaozhou paper-cutting has gradually lost its previous living environment. There are less than ten well-known paper-cutting artists, and they are getting older. There are no successors to the traditional Chaozhou paper-cutting. People are in urgent need of rescue and protection.
Paper-cut·Ansai Paper-cut
Ansai County, Shaanxi Province
Ansai Paper-cut is a folk art popular in Ansai County, Shaanxi Province. On all festive days, Ansai women have to cut paper and put up window grilles. In the twelfth lunar month, women gather together to cut paper for the Spring Festival early. As the New Year approaches, the freshly white windows of every household are covered with red and green paper cuts. In this way, a village is a paper-cut art exhibition.
Some experts commented that Shaanxi paper-cutting is in northern Shaanxi, and northern Shaanxi paper-cutting is in Ansai. Ansai paper-cutting is not only beautiful in appearance and exquisite in cutting work, but also has profound historical and cultural connotations, including aesthetics, history, philosophy, folklore, archaeology, cultural anthropology and other aspects. It is known as an "above ground cultural relic" and Cultural "living fossil".
Ansai paper-cutting has various forms, simple and concise style, rough and bright lines, simple and simple meaning, and full of wishes for peace and auspiciousness.
Paper-cut·Magnetic paper-cut
Magnetic paper-cut can be adsorbed to magnetic photo frames, magnetic scrolls, magnetic writing boards by its own magnetism, and can also be adsorbed to refrigerators, security doors, cars, documents On iron objects such as cabinets and pencil boxes. Spray a little water or wash it clean and attach it to glass or other smooth surfaces. Magnetic paper-cutting can more fully reflect the open-carving characteristics of paper-cutting and the air-permeability effect of paper-cutting.
Magnetic paper-cutting is the inheritance and development of the art of paper-cutting. The contribution of magnetic paper-cutting to paper-cutting is reflected in: 1. Magnetic paper-cutting expands the market for paper-cutting; 2. Magnetic paper-cutting enriches the theory of paper-cutting; 3. Magnetic paper-cutting enhances the artistic expression of paper-cutting, with innovations in artistic creation techniques and artistic expression techniques. More diversity.
Magnetic paper-cutting is a utility model (patent number: ZL 200420067151.0), and the patent rights were granted by the People's Republic of China and the State Intellectual Property Office on August 17, 2005.
The state attaches great importance to the protection of intangible cultural heritage. On May 20, 2006, this heritage was approved by the State Council to be included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists. On June 8, 2007, Shanghai Li Shoubai Paper-cutting Master Studio won the first Cultural Heritage Day Award issued by the Ministry of Culture.
To put it bluntly, I am not very clear about the management regulations of Olympic symbols. It is said that as long as the handmade Olympic Fuwa dolls are in the regular market, there will be no industrial, commercial or urban management meddling, because you have not violated the regulations. Distribution Management Regulations.
Taking a step back, if there are really these strict regulations and restrictions, have you ever thought about the paper-cut Olympic Fuwa, if it is affixed to certain products, or if certain products are Giving a paper cut when you buy it will not only increase the sales of that product, but also increase the cost price. I know that saying this may be disrespectful to your work (my mother also likes to make paper cuts, and my sister and I can only cut. Double Happiness), but I mean, if, if the regulations are really more serious than imagined, then your work is regarded as a by-product of a certain commodity and will not be restricted by these regulations.