According to research, the Manchu people had "paper-cutting" before they had paper. They used materials such as animal skins, fish skins, barks, linen, and metal sheets, and used cutting, engraving, and engraving methods. rough pattern. In the Changbai Mountain area, there are also people who use cornstarch, red pepper, and green leaves as materials for cutting paper. The colors are bright and unique. During the reign of Huang Taiji (1592-1643), the Jurchens (later renamed Manchu) had already begun to make their own paper.
In the Changbai Mountain area, the Jurchens call paper "Huoshan", "Xuan and catkins are smashed in summer and autumn, and they are soaked into velvet and turned into paper, which is as tough as leather". Others use "East Mountain birch, which is soft but strong in nature." , hemp is cotton but strong, and can be made into paper" ("Changbai Hui Zheng Lu"). This kind of paper is made from local materials, produced by local methods, and has a rough texture. In short, the emergence of paper created important conditions for the occurrence and development of Manchu paper-cutting. According to historical records, Manchu paper-cutting originated from witchcraft, that is, Shamanism, the religious belief of the Manchu people. Shamanism is a primitive polytheistic religion. Its belief base is that all things are animistic. It not only worships the heaven and earth, but also regards some animals and plants that are closely related to ones life as gods. At the same time, it also regards ancestors as gods. Shamanism worships gods of heaven, earth, ancestors, animals... There are about 170 gods in total. The worship of these gods is often expressed in pictures, and paper-cutting is one of the main forms of expression. Among the many gods, Momo is the most representative. Mo Mo is the old lady. This kind of god is responsible for many things, including the reproduction of children and grandchildren, the marriage of daughters, and not getting lost in the mountains... Due to the worship of Mo Mo god, Manchu families have "Mo Mo people" "The habit is to make paper-cuts that turn Momo into a human being.
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There are men, women, old and young on the paper-cuts. They are all standing frontally, with their hands hanging down and their fingers spread apart. Their facial features are carved in a yang shape and their noses are triangular. The characters' clothes are all authentic Manchu attire. These paper-cut figures are divided into two parts, front and back, which can sit or stand. The head is single-cut, with a long neck that can be inserted into clothes, and the mans long braid can be folded to the back. The cutting skills are rough, simple and unique.. This kind of paper-cutting has been handed down for generations in Changbai Mountain area and is a typical cultural heritage of shamans and gods. The existence of Manchu paper-cutting is attached to the specific cultural background and living environment of Manchu folk. Over time, Manchu folk paper-cutting has gradually formed its own unique language and style in art, and has become an important aspect of decorating the environment and beautifying life during festivals, such as Window flowers, hanging tags, lantern flowers, wedding flowers, embroidery flowers, funeral flowers, etc. During the Qianlong period, a new style with regional characteristics and national characteristics was formed. It was mainly Yang carving, supplemented by Yin carving, with long hair and fine cutting. The shapes of Manchu paper-cutting are mostly flat and concise. In terms of content, they can be divided into auspicious paper-cutting, flower-bird, fish-and-insect paper-cutting, landscape and scenery paper-cutting, figures, pots, baskets, dishes, bottles, melons and fruits, animals, flower-character paper-cutting, etc. Judging from the form of expression, it includes single-color paper-cutting (or red, white, black, etc.), spot-dyed paper-cutting, filled-color paper-cutting, multi-color combination paper-cutting, etc. According to the specific use, they can be divided into window flowers, hanging tags for worshiping gods and ancestors, cloudy day sweepers, seasonal paper-cuts, fireworks (celebrity paper-cuts for weddings, plain paper-cuts for funerals, etc.), and ceiling flowers for daily interior decoration. , Fengdouhua, kangwei paper-cutting, etc. Among the many folk paper-cuts in our country, Manchu paper-cuts occupy a place with their unique artistic charm.