Paper Cutting

Paper Cutting

Paper Cutting of China has a history of more than 2000 years, becoming a trade in the Song Dynasty; those with great skill are even able to cut exquisite Chinese characters and flowers in sleeves.

Paper Cutting can be divided into two types: One uses scissors, and the other uses cutters. Because they have very similar artistic characteristics, they are both called 'paper cutting'. In cutting out a pattern on a piece of paper, the paper must be stenciled, and the lines are expected to connect with each other, Such a stencil processing results in two kinds of effects: either with the lines of the pattern linking with each other, or the lines of the pattern being vacant spaces, with the left paper still in a single. The former is known as 'yang ke' and the latter 'yin ke'.

Specific tools and raw materials determine the shaping traits of paper cuts. It cannot depict things in detail as painting does, instead, it is meant to highlight the vivid contour characteristics as a whole and lay an emphasis on the expression of spiritual meanings. For example, window decoration paper cut themed with a rooster can present the vigorous and martial posture of a rooster only by means of its contour such as its highly raised comb,turn up tail and powerful claws. And a few points, lines and saw tooth patterns on the body of the rooster precisely show the tactile feeling of its feathers.

Paper cutting mostly employs plane designs and avoids the overlap of layers. Paper cuts often adopt symmetrical structures. In the process, a piece of paper is folded back and one half of the pattern is cut out. When it is unfolded, a complete paper cut with two symmetrical halves appears. Paper cutting mainly makes use of mono-colored paper, such as scarlet, orange, yellow and green and sometimes it is dyed after the cutting. In some cases, to meet a special requirement and pursue magnificence, thin pieces made of gold and silver or paper sparkled with golden and silvery powder are used.

Paper cutting is a folk craft and paper cuts have a wide range of uses in folk circles. Now, they usually celebrative patterns in various colors, used to decorate furniture and utensils on the occasion of festivals and weddings. For example, Chinese people like to cut window decorations with red paper showing the design of '囍' at a wedding. In the addition, paper cuts are often used as a model in embroidery, and they have rheir wonderful use in the technique of pottery, lanterns and fan decoration.

Famous paper cuts in China include the window decorations in Shaanxi, the operatic figures in Yuxian County, Hebei and the models for embroidery among the minority ethnic groups in the south.