China Traditional Arts and Crafts: Four Paper-cuts

China Traditional Arts and Crafts: Four Paper-cuts

Chinese paper-cutting is a folk art, which uses scissors or carving knives to cut patterns on paper to decorate life or cooperate with other folk activities. In May 2006, paper-cutting art was listed in the national intangible cultural heritage list, and in June 2009, Chinese paper-cutting was listed in the representative list of human intangible cultural heritage.

Yangzhou paper-cut:

Yangzhou is one of the earliest areas where paper-cutting is popular in China. Bao Jun, a famous artist, is called "Shenjian" for his paper-cut modeling. 1979 Zhang Yongshou, a paper-cut artist, was awarded the title of "Master of Arts and Crafts in China" by the state. Representative works include Hundred Flowers, Hundred Chrysanthemums and Hundred Flowers. Yangzhou paper-cut has a wide range of subjects, including figures, flowers, kites, animals, insects and fish.

Zhejiang paper-cutting:

Since the Five Dynasties, paper-cuts of window flowers can be seen everywhere in Zhejiang Province, and the "circle potted flowers" placed on utensils when giving gifts in Pingyang area are the most distinctive. There are patterns of clothes, shoes and hats everywhere. The opera window grilles in Zhejiang paper-cut are also unique, taking the typical scenes and plots in the play to fully reflect the beauty of the characters' bodies.

Shanxi paper-cutting:

The most common is window grilles, the size of which depends on the shape of the pane. Generally speaking, the style of Shanxi paper-cutting has the characteristics of rough, majestic, concise and simple in the northern region.

Shaanxi paper-cutting:

Known as a "living fossil", it completely inherits the philosophy of Yin and Yang and the concept of reproductive worship of China people. Generally speaking, Shaanxi paper-cutting is Gu Zhuo-style, with rough shape, clear meaning, various forms, full of clay figurine flavor and distinctive regional characteristics.