Relevant information on paper-cutting of Malus parviflora in Northern Dynasties

Paper-cutting is one of the folk arts with a long history in China. To many people's surprise, the earliest paper-cut objects in China actually came from the ancient tomb in Turpan, Xinjiang. A paper-cut of a group flower displayed in the history exhibition hall of the Museum of the Autonomous Region was made by an ingenious woman in Turpan more than 500 years ago.

This paper-cut was unearthed in 1959 tomb 303 in Astana, Turpan. It is not only well preserved, but also has a unified picture and smooth lines, which can be compared with modern folk paper-cutting art. The paper-cutting is round and khaki. The central pattern is octagonal, and two circles of diamond patterns are arranged outward in turn, staggered and orderly; Then the outer ring is a triangular fringe composed of trapezoidal patterns. The whole practice of paper-cutting knife washing has a simple and rich folk style. It is a paper-cut work in the Southern and Northern Dynasties.

In addition, several other paper-cut works have been unearthed in Astana, Turpan. Ma Yu orchid paper-cut, monkey flower paper-cut, iris paper-cut, chrysanthemum paper-cut, humanoid paper-cut and so on.

The paper-cut of the horse regiment flower is a lotus flower which is composed of circles, diamonds and triangles alternately arranged in a hexagon. On the hexagon, there are six pairs of horses standing opposite each other, and the horses hold their heads high and are portrayed as vigorous and powerful.

Monkey flower paper-cutting, the inner ring is mostly composed of geometric patterns, forming exquisite patterns. Between the inner ring and the outer ring, sixteen monkeys are divided into eight pairs to form a circle. Each pair of monkeys stood back and looked back at each other. One front paw is holding each other, and the other front paw is climbing the branch next to it. The mouth shouted, looked back and looked around, as if playing in the Woods, having fun and being extremely vivid.

Archaeologists also found two different kinds of humanoid paper-cuts in Astana's tomb. One was cut into the shape of seven people standing side by side, similar to a clay figurine. The other is to cut and carve four symmetrical human figures on a piece of paper with words written on it. Although the shape is simple, the pattern is clear and the life is rich.

The paper-cutting skills of these paper-cuts are also exquisite, much like today's folk group flower paper-cutting. All five works are in the form of "pair", which shows that people at that time have created symmetrical and balanced artistic techniques. It is enough to prove that the art of paper-cutting at that time has reached maturity.

Because the preservation of paper items is extremely difficult, there are not many paper-cut objects handed down. The well-preserved paper-cut objects of the Northern Dynasties collected by the Museum of the Autonomous Region are the earliest paper-cut works of art in China and even in the world.

Archaeologists have excavated countless graves in the interior of China, but so far no paper-cutting before the Northern Dynasties has been found. The paper-cut unearthed in Astana, Turpan truly reproduces the prevalence of folk paper-cut in Turpan during the Northern Dynasties.

Scholars believe that although paper-cutting first appeared in the ancient tomb in Turpan, Xinjiang, its origin is still in the Central Plains. Paper-cutting has a long history in China. In Historical Records, there is a story of "cutting tung to seal a brother", which describes that Song Ji of Zhou Chengwang cut a plane tree leaf into a jade statue and gave it to his younger brother concubine. During the Jin and Tang Dynasties, the custom of "carving gold to win" was popular. "Victory" is a pattern cut from paper, gold and silver foil, silk and silk, and a set of square geometric shapes is called "Fang Sheng"; Those who cut into flowers and plants are called "Watson", and those who cut into human form are called "people win".

Some people speculate that early paper-cutting is related to Taoism's worship of gods and evocation of souls. For example, in Du Fu's poem, it is said that "warm soup feels feet, and paper-cutting seeks the soul". Only after development can we beautify the environment and accept the meaning of blessing.

The paper-cut objects unearthed from the ancient tomb in Turpan are enough to prove that Xinjiang paper-cut art had a heyday from the Northern Dynasties to the Tang Dynasty. Modern paper-cutting is mainly distributed in Turpan, Hami, Changji, Qitai, Jimsar, Karamay, Urumqi and other places. With the attention paid by the state and the autonomous region government to the protection of folk intangible cultural heritage, Xinjiang paper-cutting art has ushered in a new development period, and it should bloom its own beauty in the art garden of the motherland.