The history of window grilles

Window grilles have a history of thousands of years. The earliest window grilles were cut and pasted in early spring to welcome the Spring Festival. After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, it was gradually changed to stick grilles during the Spring Festival.

Window cut is the most widely distributed, the largest number and the most popular variety among folk paper-cuts. Divided into "North-South Style", the South takes "exquisiteness" as beauty and is characterized by exquisiteness; The beauty of simplicity and vividness in the north is characterized by innocence and integrity. Other paper-cut varieties are developed and extended on the basis of window grilles. During the Spring Festival, rural areas in the north and the south all hope to have stick grilles to decorate the environment and enhance the atmosphere, placing their hopes of saying goodbye to the old and welcoming the new. Window grilles are the most representative of carving art in terms of subject matter, expression and carving techniques. Modern window grilles have gradually formed an independent art category, but they are called "window grilles" because they originally originated from clip art in folk festivals or folk activities, and were mostly pasted on the white paper of rural windows. For everyone, window grilles are a beautiful title, which can cause a lot of lingering and emotion. On the first day of the first lunar month, commonly known as the Spring Festival, decorating the living room environment with window grilles has become an important part of the Spring Festival celebrations in China.

The first cutting situation of window grilles is monochrome cutting, which is widely used in red paper paper cutting. Second, color paper-cutting, big windows in palaces and shops or windows in halls and facades. Thirdly, the relief paper-cutting popular in Gansu and Qinghai has a unique style, which combines cutting and engraving with origami technology. Fourth, colored window grilles can be divided into dyeing and color contrast. Dyed window grilles are the most famous in Fengning and Yuxian, Hebei Province. First engraved and then dyed, with bright colors and excellent light and shadow effects. Color matching window grilles are the most famous window grilles produced in Foshan, Guangdong. The main patterns are cut and carved with gold paper and tin foil paper, and the background color is colored paper, which is magnificent, rich and elegant. This practice is called "copper lining"

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Every art has its own unique artistic style. Because of the materials (paper) and tools (scissors and carving knives) used in paper cutting, paper cutting has its own artistic style. Paper-cut art is a kind of folk art that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Most of the authors come from rural women and folk artists. Because they take what they see and hear in real life as the theme, and observe things according to simple feelings and intuitive impressions, they have formed a special style of paper-cutting art, which embodies the unpretentious spirit of farmers.

Paper-cut for window decoration

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Shanxi folk paper-cutting: Grandpa sends his grandson.

Every art has its own unique artistic style. Because of the materials (paper) and tools (scissors and carving knives) used in paper cutting, paper cutting has its own artistic style. Paper-cut art is a kind of folk art that is easy to learn but difficult to master. Most of the authors come from rural women and folk artists. Because they take what they see and hear in real life as the theme, and observe things according to simple feelings and intuitive impressions, they have formed a special style of paper-cutting art, which embodies the unpretentious spirit of farmers.

Summarize past experience from the following aspects:

1. The line is connected, but the line is broken.

Because paper-cut works are cut out or carved out on paper, we should take the method of hollowing out. Because of hollowing out, paper-cuts with public lines must be connected with lines, and paper-cuts with bus lines must be disconnected with lines. If you cut off some lines, the whole paper-cut will be fragmented and deformed. Thus, there is a structure that does not fall or cut. This is an important feature of the art of paper-cutting, which pays great attention to lines, because the picture of paper-cutting is composed of lines. According to practical experience, the lines of paper-cutting can be summarized into five words: "round, sharp, square, missing and line". Requirements: "Round as autumn moon, sharp as wheat awn, square as blue brick, lacking as sawtooth, walking like beard." It can be said that lines are the basis of paper-cut modeling.

2. The patterning of composition modeling

Paper-cutting is different from other paintings in composition. "It is difficult to show the overlap of three-dimensional space, scene and image, and it often breaks through the proportion and perspective relationship between objects and images. The content is mainly based on the connection of images, and more combinations are used. Due to the exaggerated deformation in modeling, it can also use some laws of formal beauty of patterns to make symmetry, uniformity, balance, combination and continuity. It can arrange the sun, moon, stars, birds and clouds on the same picture, just like buildings, people and animals on the ground. Common ones are "layers of high bases" or "borrowing things for scenery".

3. The image is exaggerated, concise, beautiful and full of rhythm.

Due to the limitation of tools and materials, it is required that paper-cutting should not only grasp the characteristics of the object, but also link the lines with nature when processing images. Therefore, we can't adopt naturalistic realism. It is required to pay attention to the main part of the image and boldly give up the secondary part to make the main body clear at a glance. The figure should be prominent, forming a simple and generous aesthetic feeling, the posture of the object should be exaggerated, the action should be big, the posture should be beautiful, just like the appearance on the stage, full of rhythm.

4. Simple and bright colors

The color requirements of paper-cutting are simple and complicated, and less configuration of the same color, similar color and adjacent color. Seek harmony in contrasting colors. At the same time pay attention to the proportion of colors. If a main color is used to form the main color, the contrast of other colors will be weakened to varying degrees. Sometimes when the colors are juxtaposed and feel a little stiff, they are put in black respectively. In the main manuscript of the golden section, you can get a harmonious and lively feeling.

5. Knife should be "steady, accurate and skillful"

Many characteristics and styles of folk paper-cutting are due to certain knife skills, such as "Hundred Flowers Map" created by Zhang Yongshou, which is used in many places. For example, a chrysanthemum engraved with "arhat beard" is straight when it first opens and curled when it is in full bloom, forming a spiral circle. When cutting this kind of chrysanthemum, it needs to be cut from the inside out, and the petals can curl freely after cutting, so as to form a chrysanthemum with unique image and flavor.

If you carve a kind of chrysanthemum called "Egret Feather", because when it blooms, one petal is covered with another petal, and the other petal is hooked with another petal, you should use the "cutting method" to cut this chrysanthemum. The cut parts should be connected one by one, and the petals should follow one by one, so that the petals can vary in thickness and size, and the cut flowers can be as full and beautiful as the feathers of egrets.

When carving a large number of paper-cuts at the same time, in the use of knife method, whether it is cut or not, the cut paper-cuts should be thick. When using a knife, you must cut it up and down like a hacksaw in your hand, and the force should be rigid and even, otherwise the knife will lose its flexibility thousands of miles away. Be careful not to swing back and forth from left to right. Hold the knife vertically up and down, and the carved paper-cut will be accurate. When cutting paper, both cutting and lifting should be accurate, especially where the knives are connected. Just say it and you can cut it. Here we go. Otherwise, the lines are easily cut or torn by the knife.

"Qiao" here mainly refers to the "sawtooth" and "crescent" carved with a clever knife. These are two very important knife methods in paper cutting. If these two knife methods are used properly, the unique "knife-like paper feeling" of paper-cutting art can be formed.

Let's talk about the application of these two knife methods in detail.

"Sawtooth" is naturally produced by the author due to the cutting movement of paper and knife in the production process. It uses the ratio of length, density, straightness, rigidity and softness of sawtooth, and combines the characteristics of different objects to express its texture, sense of quantity and structure.

When carving plants, soft sawtooth patterns can show their flowers and fruits, while hard sawtooth patterns can show the needling and plush of leaves and stems of trees.

When carving animals, fine sawtooth patterns can show soft fluff, thick sawtooth patterns can show hard mane, and circular and semi-arc sawtooth patterns can show feathers and scales of birds, fish and insects.

When carving characters, we can use jumping sawtooth patterns to show moving eyebrows, beards and hair, and use slender and rich sawtooth patterns to show children's plump skin.

"Crescent Moon" is also a variety of arc-shaped decorations naturally produced in the process of cutting and carving. Gravure carving is the main way to show the lines of characters' clothes or destroy large black areas. According to the characteristics and shape of the same object, it can be long or short, wide or narrow, curved or straight, and can be changed into various types.

The two forms of "sawtooth" and "crescent" are often used alternately in different paper-cut pictures, making the levels more distinct and varied.

Sawtooth and crescent sprouted from the paper-cutting techniques of "Ma Dui Group Painting" and "Monkey Group Painting" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. After a hundred years of historical evolution, they have continued to this day, becoming the law of decorative patterns that people love and use.

Besides "sawtooth" and "crescent", there are other forms of folk paper-cutting, such as flowers, vortex patterns, moire patterns and water patterns.

Window grilles are all suitable for patterns, and most of the window grilles in Shandong are straight, which is suitable for straight windows in this area; Northwest window grilles divide the complete paper-cut into four pieces with the word "ten", which is also suitable for forming a cross in the center of the window. The window grilles in Hunan have a fixed combination. Generally, double happiness flowers are inserted in the middle, butterfly horns are inserted in the four corners, and a pair of wedding candles, flower baskets and plates are placed on both sides of the group flowers. In order not to affect indoor lighting, window grilles are mostly cut in the sun to obtain more hollowed-out area. The outer contours of window grilles and window frames are required to be comfortable and symmetrical, which can play a practical role in cold protection and ventilation in addition to beautiful decorative factors. In order to pursue fresh, bright and lively interior decoration effect, window grilles are often carved with fine wire cutting to achieve hollow and exquisite visual effect.

Window theme

The theme of window grilles is extremely extensive, including dramatic figures, historical legends, flowers, birds, fish and insects, landscapes, real life and auspicious patterns, which can be described as ubiquitous. However, the most common patterns are flowers and animals, festive and auspicious patterns, often with the theme of "auspicious and festive", "good weather and good luck", "rich crops", "prosperous people" and "precious flowers and birds". "Dragon and phoenix become auspicious" has always been the theme of folk art, and the dragon and phoenix are beautifully shaped and meticulously portrayed, which accurately expresses people's psychology of praying for good luck. There are stories, characters, operas, customs and so on. It is very popular in the Yellow River basin and rural areas in the north. Common are the characters and drama plots of Three Kingdoms Opera, Water Margin Opera, Journey to the West, folk stories and local operas. Even the folk story "the mouse gets married" has become the theme of the window grilles. Among them, the number of window grilles with auspicious meanings is the largest. The folk function of window grilles is the most concentrated, which not only beautifies the living environment, but also entrusts the pursuit and desire for the ideal of life. Pray for a prosperous life, prosperous future generations, long life and good fortune, and ward off evil spirits and welcome good luck. These are the most expressive themes of window grilles, which reflect the ancient and rich cultural connotation of window grilles. It can be seen from the style of window grilles circulating in the south of the Yangtze River that window grilles can better express the artistic language of paper-cutting than other paper-cutting styles. The technological characteristics of paper-cutting with window grilles have surpassed the simple decorative function of folk activities, thus changing the development pattern of single paper-cutting form. For example, the paper-cutting of embossed window grilles in Gansu uses the technology of binding paper; The painted window grilles in Hebei draw lessons from folk paintings; The silk window grilles in Nantong organically combine paper and textiles. Paper-cutting of window grilles, as a folk activity of festivals, not only beautifies the living environment, but also becomes the object of people's aesthetic communication.

Application of knife method

"Sawtooth" is naturally produced by the author due to the cutting movement of paper and knife in the production process. It uses the ratio of length, density, straightness, rigidity and softness of sawtooth, and combines the characteristics of different objects to express its texture, sense of quantity and structure.

When carving plants, soft sawtooth patterns can show their flowers and fruits, while hard sawtooth patterns can show the needling and plush of leaves and stems of trees. When carving animals, fine sawtooth patterns can show soft fluff, thick sawtooth patterns can show hard mane, and circular and semi-arc sawtooth patterns can show feathers and scales of birds, fish and insects.

When carving animals, fine sawtooth patterns can show soft fluff, thick sawtooth patterns can show hard mane, and circular and semi-arc sawtooth patterns can show feathers and scales of birds, fish and insects.

When carving characters, we can use jumping sawtooth patterns to show moving eyebrows, beards and hair, and use slender and rich sawtooth patterns to show children's plump skin. "Crescent Moon" is also a variety of arc-shaped decorations naturally produced in the process of cutting and carving. Gravure carving is the main way to show the lines of characters' clothes or destroy large black areas. According to the characteristics and shape of the same object, it can be long or short, wide or narrow, curved or straight, and can be changed into various types.

"Crescent Moon" is also a variety of arc-shaped decorations naturally produced in the process of cutting and carving. Gravure carving is the main way to show the lines of characters' clothes or destroy large black areas. According to the characteristics and shape of the same object, it can be long or short, wide or narrow, curved or straight, and can be changed into various types.

The two forms of "sawtooth" and "crescent" are often used alternately in different paper-cut pictures, making the levels more distinct and varied. Besides "sawtooth" and "crescent", there are other forms of folk paper-cutting, such as flowers, vortex patterns, moire patterns and water patterns.

Sawtooth and crescent sprouted from the paper-cutting techniques of "Ma Dui Group Painting" and "Monkey Group Painting" in the Southern and Northern Dynasties. After a hundred years of historical evolution, they have continued to this day, becoming the law of decorative patterns that people love and use. Besides "sawtooth" and "crescent", there are other forms of folk paper-cutting, such as flowers, vortex patterns, moire patterns and water patterns.

When carving a large number of paper-cuts at the same time, in the use of knife method, whether it is cut or not, the cut paper-cuts should be thick. When using a knife, you must cut it up and down like a hacksaw in your hand, and the force should be rigid and even, otherwise the knife will lose its flexibility thousands of miles away. Be careful not to swing back and forth from left to right. Hold the knife vertically up and down, and the carved paper-cut will be accurate. When cutting paper, both cutting and lifting should be accurate, especially where the knives are connected. Just say it and you can cut it. Here we go. Otherwise, the lines are easily cut or torn by the knife.

The beginning of spring and window grilles.

Window grilles are closely related to the beginning of spring, which has been the way people greet spring since ancient times. Beginning of spring has passed this year. Is your home, stick grilles? In order to welcome the spring, people in many parts of our country, especially in the north, like to stick various window grilles on their windows.

Window grilles are folk paper-cut works of art with various colors and patterns, which have a history of thousands of years. One of the cutting and carving forms of window grilles is monochrome cutting and carving, which is widely used in red paper paper cutting. Second, color paper-cutting, big windows in palaces and shops or windows in halls and facades. Thirdly, the relief paper-cutting popular in Gansu and Qinghai has a unique style, which combines cutting and engraving with origami technology. The fourth kind is colored window grilles, which are divided into dyeing and contrasting colors. Dyed window grilles are the most famous in Fengning and Yuxian, Hebei Province. First engraved and then dyed, with bright colors and excellent light and shadow effects. Color matching window grilles are the most famous window grilles produced in Foshan, Guangdong. The main patterns are cut and carved with gold paper and tin foil paper, and the background color is colored paper, which is magnificent, rich and elegant. This practice is called "copper lining" The window grilles in Shandong are mostly straight lines, which are suitable for straight windows in this area; Northwest window grilles divide the complete paper-cut into four pieces with the word "ten". In order not to affect indoor lighting, window grilles are mostly cut in the sun to get more hollowed-out area. The outline of window grilles and window frames shall be dense and symmetrical. In order to pursue fresh, bright and lively interior decoration effect, window grilles are often carved with fine wire cutting to achieve hollow and exquisite visual effect.

Window grilles are closely related to the beginning of spring. Li Shangyin, a poet in the Tang Dynasty, once wrote in his poem: "Carving gold is the victory, spreading fine customs, cutting green for the people, and the golden wind is the prosperity." After the Song and Yuan Dynasties, the time to cut and paste window grilles to welcome the Spring Festival began in beginning of spring, and people used paper-cutting to express their joy in celebrating spring. Window grilles have quite a lot of content to express farmers' life, such as farming, weaving, herding sheep and raising chickens. In addition, there are myths and legends, drama stories and other themes. In addition, the images of flowers and birds, insects and fish, and the zodiac are also very common. Window grilles decorate festivals with their unique generalization and exaggeration.