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Papercuts
Papercuts
refer to handicrafts made by cutting paper
with scissors to form different patterns and pasting them on walls, windows,
doors and ceilings. With their long history, papercuts, which originated in
China, have been very popular among the ordinary people of China. The first
papercut can be traced back to the Northern
and Southern Dynasties
(386-581) period. The
initiation and spread of papercuts had a close relationship with Chinese rural
festivals. People pasted papercuts on walls, windows and doors at wedding
ceremonies or festivals to enhance the festive atmosphere.
Chinese papercuts are rich in content. The auspicious
designs symbolize good luck and the avoidance of evil. The child, lotus and
bottle gourd designs suggest a family with a large number of children and
grandchildren. Domestic birds, livestock, fruit, fish and worms are also
familiar objects depicted by Chinese farmers. There are some special papercuts
of traditional design used as patterns for embroidering clothes,
shoes, hats, pillows, bed curtains and door curtains. Papercuts made in
different areas have different characteristics. Shaanxi window papercuts are
simple and bold; papercuts from Hebei
Province and Shanxi
Province
are bright in color; papercuts in southern provinces are
delicate and fine.
Although papercuts are simple to make, their themes
reveal many local Chinese customs. Papercuts typically demonstrate the preferred
aesthetics of shape and the artistic concepts behind Chinese folk handicrafts.
An understanding and scrutiny of papercuts is a good beginning to getting to
know and appreciate the complexity of Chinese folk arts.
The art forms are mainly used as decorations and patterns for religious and
ornamental purposes. Papercuts can also be used as ornaments on gates, windows,
walls, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns.
They are still widely used today at important festivals, especially during the
New Year. It is very important to put papercuts at the entrance gates for good
luck for the family. Papercuts can also serve as presents or as decorations on
gifts and sacrificial offerings to the ancestors or gods. In addition, they can
be used as embroidery patterns for clothes and lacquer works.
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