About the style, history and theme of window grilles?

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, iris flowers are inserted in the four corners, and a pair of wedding candles, flower baskets and plates are placed on each side of the group flower. In order not to affect indoor lighting, window grilles are mostly cut in the sun to get 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 grilles have a history of thousands of years, and gradually spread and shaped during the Song and Yuan Dynasties.

history

China folk paper-cut handicraft art has its own formation and development process. China's paper was invented in the Western Han Dynasty BC. Before this, there could be no paper-cutting art, but at that time, people used the thin material hollowing-out carving technique to make handicrafts, but it was popular long before paper appeared, that is, cutting patterns on gold foil, leather, silk and even leaves by carving, engraving, cutting and other techniques. According to Records of the Historian Jiantong Di Feng, in the early years of the Western Zhou Dynasty, a king claimed the title of king, and cut a plane tree leaf into a "reed" and gave it to his younger brother, who was named Hou in the Tang Dynasty. During the Warring States period, leather carvings (one of the cultural relics unearthed from Chu Tomb No.1 in Jiangling, Hubei Province) and silver foil carvings (one of the cultural relics unearthed from the Warring States site in Guwei Village, Huixian County, Henan Province) were all demolished together with paper-cutting, and their appearance laid a certain foundation for the formation of folk paper-cutting. The earliest paper-cutting works in China were discovered in 1967, when China archaeologists discovered two paper-cuts with flowers of the Northern Dynasties in Astana near Gaochang site in Turpan Basin, Xinjiang. They use hemp paper, all of which are folded sacrificial paper-cuts. Their discovery provides physical evidence for the formation of Chinese paper-cutting.

The history of paper-cutting handicraft art, that is, paper-cutting in the true sense, should begin with the appearance of paper. The invention of paper in Han Dynasty promoted the appearance, development and popularization of paper-cutting. Paper is a moldy material. In the southeast of China, the climate is humid, coupled with rainy days in May and June every year, paper products will rot over time, and folk paper-cutting is a popular thing. People don't keep it as a treasure, and they can cut it if it is broken. In the northwest of China, the weather is dry, the climate is dry, and the paper is not easy to get moldy, which may also be one of the important reasons for the discovery of paper-cutting in the Northern Dynasties in Turpan, Xinjiang. Paper-cutting in Tang Dynasty-Paper-cutting in Tang Dynasty has been in a period of great development. There is a saying in Du Fu's poem that "warm water fills my feet, and paper-cutting calls my soul". The custom of paper-cutting calling my soul has spread among the people at that time. The paper-cut in the Tang Dynasty, which is now in the British Museum, shows that the paper-cut at that time had a high level of manual art and a complete picture composition, expressing an ideal realm between heaven and earth. Popular in the Tang Dynasty, the carved patterns of flowers and trees have the characteristics of paper-cutting. For example, the pattern of "Duiyang" in Masakura Hospital in Japan is a typical artistic expression of hand cutting. In the Tang dynasty, there was also block printing made of paper-cutting. People carved it into wax paper with thick paper, and then printed the dye on the cloth to form beautiful patterns.

In Song Dynasty, the paper industry was mature and there were many kinds of paper products, which provided conditions for the popularization of paper-cutting. For example, it can be used as "fireworks" for folk gifts, "window grilles" pasted on windows, or as decorations for lanterns and teacups. The application scope of folk paper-cutting in Song Dynasty gradually expanded. Jiangxi Jizhou Kiln uses paper-cut as the pattern of ceramics, and makes the ceramics more exquisite by glazing and firing. Folk also use paper-cutting to carve figures in shadow play with the skins of animals such as donkeys, cows, horses and sheep. Carved version made of blue printed cloth, carved into patterns with oilpaper board, and scratched patterns made by paper-cutting technology, divided into yin and yang engraving. Long lines should be cut off to distinguish facts from truth.

During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, the paper-cut handicraft art matured and reached its peak. Folk paper-cut handicraft art has a wider range of applications, such as flower decorations on folk lanterns, decorative patterns on fans and embroidery patterns, all of which are reprocessed with paper-cut as decoration. What's more, Chinese people often use paper-cutting as decoration to beautify the home environment, such as door battlements, window grilles, cabinet flowers, wedding flowers and ceiling flowers, which are all used to decorate doors, windows and rooms. In addition to the paper-binding pattern craftsmen who appeared after the Southern Song Dynasty, rural women are the most basic team of China folk paper-cutting crafts. Female red is an important symbol of the perfection of traditional women in China. As a compulsory skill of needlework, paper-cutting has become a skill that girls have to learn since childhood. They want to learn paper-cut patterns from their predecessors or sisters, cut out new patterns through cutting, re-cutting, painting and cutting, and describe the natural scenery they are familiar with and love, the scenery of fish, insects, birds, beasts, flowers, trees, pavilions and bridges, and finally reach the realm of their will.

China folk paper-cut handicraft art, like an ivy tree, is ancient and evergreen, and its unique popularity, practicality and aesthetics have become a symbolic meaning that meets people's psychological needs.

Paper-cut Art Each art has its own unique artistic style. Paper-cutting materials (paper) and tools (scissors and carving knives) determine that 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.

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, most of them are flowers, animals, festive and auspicious patterns, and they are mainly "auspicious and festive", "good weather and good luck", "abundant 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.