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CHINESE PAPER CUT ITEMS HISTORY & MORE



 
 
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Old August 7th 03, 06:48 AM
Zoe
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Default CHINESE PAPER CUT ITEMS HISTORY & MORE

Source of Information: http://www.bestorient.com

History of Chinese Folk Art - Paper-cut

[When was it first invented] Chinese Paper-cut was invented sometime
before A.D. 386 (about 2500 years ago). In 1959, the earliest known
Paper-cut in the form of a rosette was discovered in an old city which
was located in the south of the Talimu Basin in Yutien County of
XianJiang, China.

In Tang Dynasty, (A.D. 618 – 906), paper-cut has been widespread and
the major characters were animals, birds and flowers of the
countryside as well as characters in the Chinese traditional myth,
historical and theatrical characters.

[What was it used for] The Chinese not only invented papermaking, but
also have a long history of using paper to decorate their houses. By
1950, the majority of windows in China were still made of paper as
they had been a thousand years earlier. Pasted damp over a wooden
lattice frame, the paper became taut when dry. These windows, often
renewed at Chinese New Year, formed a natural setting for the most
popular form of paper-cut creating "window flowers". Small in size and
always red, the color of joy and luck, they were pasted onto the
inside of the paper windows transforming the room by day and at night,
when the lamp was lit, adding to the gaiety of the street.

Paper-cuts were not only used as "window flowers", but also used for
decorations at home. They were hung from the lintels of doorways like
lace curtains. Walls, ceilings and pillars were likewise decorated as
were a mass of smaller objects – candles, cakes, the corners of
mirrors, furniture and gift boxes.

[How was it made]Paper-cut was essentially a folk art in China. There
are no elaborate methods or daunting array of tools required to create
paper-cut. Its beauty lies in its uncomplicated and direct expression
as well as in its delicate and refined execution. This is exactly why
it's so pretty and so interesting.

The primary tools are, a rectangular wooden tray with a rim; knives
with extremely sharp blades, sharp pointed scissors, and metal
tweezers.

The original design (a drawing) is first made with Chinese ink and
brush. Ten to twenty sheets of thin paper are placed on the cutting
board. The paper must be sewn together and kept flat so that it can't
be moved during the cutting process. Then the artist will cut the
pattern with a knife held upright, following the lines of the design
and penetrating the layers of the paper to the board below. A pin is
used to remove the unwanted sections of the design and when completed
the paper-cuts are lifted with the tweezers.

Because it developed as a form of folk art, there are many regional
styles and variations throughout China.

Nowadays, it's not easy to find fine traditional Paper-cut. Chen's
family is one of these traditional Chinese cultural legacies. Chen's
family has been receiving high praise for its excellent paper cutting
skills from Chinese society. After following his father's footstep,
Jierong Chen is the third generation of his family to inherit this
amazing exquisite Chinese art craft. In the past ten years, Jierong
has traveled throughout the country to learn from the folk and search
for inspiration. Weaving ordinary scissors in and out of a sheet of
paper with his magic hands, this crafty man soon comes up with
delicate designs – including flowers, animals, people, scenery, etc.,
all as vivid as if they were real. His works also enjoy a noteworthy
reputation in Southeast Asia.


[What is it being used for today] Paper-cuts have now become a
collector's item. People put them in hanging frames to decorate the
walls of their houses. Many people give them to their friends as gifts
for special occasions.

For Detail Information: http://www.bestorient.com
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