paper cuts

The making of paper-cuts is another popular folk art in China. A piece of pa­per can be turned in the hands of an artisan, with the help of a knife or a pair of scissors, into any of a wide variety of patterns ­landscapes, flowers, birds, animals and human figures. These simple works of art may be displayed in wall frames or pressed under glass table-tops to grace the room with their elegant lines and pleasing images.

Paper-cuts fall into two categories:

1 )The monochrome scissor-cut: This is cut from a single piece of paper with a pair of scissors. It requires imagination and dexterity on the part of the artist. A master in this field is Wang Zi gan, member of the Shanghai Arts and Crafts Research Institute, who has practised the craft for more than 50 years since the age of 13. It is a delightful experience to watch him at it - turn the scissors this way and that, cutting through a large piece of paper and producing, in a matter of minutes, a picture of a crowing cock with a group of graz­ing lambs. To cut such a picture or any other from a vast repertory, he needs no draft or model, but his work is always done in smooth and flow­ing lines and with expressive figures.

2)The patterned paper-cut: For this, patterns or models are first made by the master, and then the workers do the cutting accordingly, not on one sheet of paper but through a pile of some two dozens, producing as many paper-cuts at a time. The cutting tools used are knives of various sizes, some as long as 14 em, others as thin as needles.

It is difficult to tell since when the art of paper-cutting began in China. Excava­tions made in 1949 at the ruins of the an­cient city of Gao chang in Turpan, Xin jiang, unearthed paper-cuts showing a pair of horses and a pair of monkeys. They date back 1,500 years to the period of the Northern and Southern dynasties (420-589). They are the earliest speciments of an­cient paper-cuts that have been discovered.

In the old days, people of certain re­gions used to cut red paper and imitation fold foil into chickens, dogs, sheep, pigs, cattle and horses or pictures of "peaches of immortality" and "high-ranking person on fine horse" and decorate their offer­ings to the gods with these by way of pray­ing for prosperity and happiness. Today, on festivals or festive occasions such as a wedding, paper-cuts are still made and pasted on doors, windows, walls, rice jars and stoves to brighten up the house and add to the jubilance.

There is yet anoter kind of paper-cuts especially made as patterns for embroi dery work.

The art of paper-cutting has experi­enced considerable development since the founding of New China. Research societ­ies have been set up in a number of areas and the number of lovers has been on the increase. The folk art, it seems, has a more splendid future in store.