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One
of China's most popular folkarts is papercutting. Archaeological
finds trace the tradition back to the 6th century; it is supposed
that the beginnings of papercutting were even a few centuries
earlier. Papercuttings are used for religious purposes, for
decoration and as patterns.
As is still partly the case outside of China, various paper
objects and figures used to be buried with the dead or were burned
at the funeral ceremony. Papercuttings, which were usually of
symbolic character, were part of this ritual. They also often
served as decorations for sacrificial offerings to the ancestors
and gods.
Today, papercuttings are chiefly used as decoration. They ornament
walls, windows, doors, columns, mirrors, lamps and lanterns in
homes and are also used for decoration on presents or are given as
presents themselves.
They
have special significance at festivals and on holidays. At the New
Year's Festival for example, entrances are decorated with
papercuttings which are supposed to bring good luck.
Papercuttings used to be used as patterns, especially for
embroidery and lacquer work.
Papercuttings
are not produced by machine, but by hand. There are two methods of
manufacture: scissor cuttings and knife cuttings. As the name
indicates, scissor cuttings are fashioned with scissors. Several
pieces of paper--up to eight pieces--are fastened together. The
motif is then cut with sharp, pointed scissors.
Knife
cuttings are fashioned by putting several layers of paper on a
relatively soft foundation consisting of a mixture of tallow and
ashes. Following a pattern, the artist cuts the motif into the
paper with a sharp knife which he usually holds vertically. The
advantage of knife cuttings is that considerably more
papercuttings can be made in one operation than with scissor
cuttings.
In
the countryside, papercuttings are usually made only by women and
girls. This used to be one of the crafts that every girl was to
master and that were often used to judge brides. Professional
papercutting artists are, on the other hand, almost always men who
have guaranteed incomes and work together in workshops.
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