The symbolism of Chinese folk paper-cut art originates from primitive worship
The symbolism of paper-cut art originates from primitive worship, which is a common psychological need of people. In the social environment and natural environment, good and bad luck are also closely related to peoples destiny. Therefore, the accumulation of human traditional cultural psychology has been formed, and primitive worship has become the most basic destiny theme of paper-cut artists. Symbol is an ancient way of artistic expression. It is inseparable from our countrys original folk culture and is chaotically integrated. In a sense, primitive worship is the symbolic origin of folk paper-cutting art. The primitive ancestors worshiped a wide range of objects, which can be roughly divided into: nature worship, totem worship, fertility worship, ancestor worship and witchcraft worship. In terms of ideology, they take this as their belief and carry out various activities with witchcraft.
"Sun Pattern Gold Foil" Unearthed from Sanxingdui
Nature worship is one of the earliest forms of human worship. It is the product of primitive human beings whose subjective consciousness is still in the hazy stage, such as the worship of the earth, the sun, the moon and stars, mountains, rivers, lakes and seas, clouds, thunder and lightning, etc. There are many depictions of the sun in rock paintings and painted pottery. The sun shines on the earth and brings life to all things. Therefore, people worshiped it as the god who dominates all things. Of course, the image of the sun is not only painted on rock paintings and painted pottery. There are also a large number of patterns that express the image of the sun in Chinese paper-cutting - sun patterns, as well as rotating patterns that symbolize the rotation of celestial bodies and the sun. For example, the "Gold Foil with Sun Pattern" unearthed from Sanxingdui has four gracefully carved phoenixes with a rotating sun pattern in the center, which illustrates the worship of the sun by primitive ancestors. In the paper-cut "Frog", the outline of the frog in the work is simple and simple, and its body is decorated with abstract sun patterns, which has the meaning of endless life.
"Frog" Anonymous
Totem worship is a form of worship following nature worship. It is developed on the basis of nature worship. There is a lot of information about totem worship in archaeological excavations and ancient legends in my country. For example, the human-faced fish pattern in primitive painted pottery with totem consciousness is a pattern of half human, half fish, with a human face and a fish head. This similar form can also be seen in paper-cutting. Especially in remote areas of our country, some of the contents represented by paper-cutting still retain traces of primitive totem worship. The paper-cut "Fish Doll" from Fuyang, Anhui Province is a paper-cut work with a strange combination of human and fish. It is very similar in composition to the "Human Face and Fish Pattern" unearthed in Banpo. The connotation of Ansai Bai Fenglians paper-cut "Baby Fish" also shows the relics of the original totem consciousness. The tiger was revered by our ancestors as a native totem, a symbol of warding off evil spirits, and the embodiment of good luck and happiness. Tiger totems are often seen in Chinese rock paintings and bronzes, and there are also many works about tiger totems in paper-cutting.
Painted pottery with human face and fish pattern
The Yinshan rock painting "Tiger Eats Sheep" and the paper-cut work "Tiger", the former exaggerates the content of a tiger devouring a sheep. In the latter picture, the king symbol and lotus on the tigers head are more eye-catching, and the shape is extremely exaggerated, pursuing a spiritual resemblance, so that people can feel the power and ferocity of the tiger from the tiger symbol. The dragon and phoenix in the paper cutting are also totems that the Chinese ancestors worshiped and regarded as their national emblem. Guizhou Miao paper-cutting artists often use butterflies as themes, because in Miao mythology, they believe that humans evolved from butterflies, and that mother butterflies are the ancestors of all things and the protector of life. These all have the significance of totem worship.
"Fish Doll" Anhui Anonymous
Reproductive worship is relative to the primitive ancestors living in the primitive natural environment. The primitive ancestors had great concerns about life, survival and their own prosperity.Yan paid great attention to it, and as a result, people developed a fervent fertility worship. The worship and worship of life became a cultural phenomenon unique to the Chinese ancestors. There are a large number of physical objects and documentary materials in our country. For example, the pottery nude statue of a pregnant woman unearthed from the east mountain mouth of Kazuo, Liaoning Province, contains the remains of the worship of the reproductive mother goddess. "Yi Xici Xia" writes: "The heaven and earth are woven together, and all things are transformed into alcohol; men and women form essences, and all things are transformed and born. Qian is a yang thing. Kun is a yin thing. Yin and yang combine to form a strong and soft body, with the body The creation of heaven and earth is to communicate the virtues of gods." Therefore, the concept of yin and yang in traditional Chinese culture originated from the reproductive concept of yin and yang intercourse. Reproductive worship is also the unchanging religious belief of primitive ancestors. Hegel said: "What the East often emphasizes and reveres is the universal vitality of nature, not the spirituality and power of ideology, but the creativity of reproduction."
"Bayu" Ansai Bai Fenglian
Survival and reproduction in paper-cutting are always the most basic themes of human life. It is deeply infiltrated with the concept of reproductive worship, and its works account for a large proportion. Shaanxis bun doll is the most typical symbol of reproduction and reproduction in paper-cut art. It is revered by Mr. Jin Zhilin as: "The god of protection and reproduction of the Chinese nation." If a parent has not had children for a long time, he will cut a bun doll to worship, hoping that he will have a child soon and the population will be prosperous. The whole figure is placed on it. people’s expectations for reproduction. In addition, frogs, fish, mice, grapes, gourds, etc. symbolize fertility and are also the most common themes in paper-cutting. The gourd is connected with reproductive life. The gourd looks like a womans uterus in appearance, and there are many seeds inside, symbolizing the mothers body. Its vines are endlessly entwined, giving people the best symbol of continuity and prosperity of offspring. Therefore, Jin Zhilin believes: "The gourd is not only the source of human reproduction, but also the source of the reproduction of all things."
"Tiger Eats Sheep" Yinshan Rock Painting
As shown in the picture are the paper-cut "Gourd" by Zhao Huanying in Binzhou, Shandong and the paper-cut "Eight-Knot Gourd" by Li Xien in Changsha. The former has dolls, gourds, etc. cut inside the gourd, which is a symbol of having many children and good fortune; the latter has lotus flowers and a long coil cut inside the gourd. The long coil symbolizes continuity and the longevity of life. The prototype of the paper-cut work "Buckle Bowl" also refers to the gourd, which is a happy flower that beautifies the wedding room. The upper part of the pattern symbolizes men, and the surrounding pattern is decorated with a symbol of wealth and wealth, which symbolizes the yang and the male; the lower part is a female pattern, surrounded by a zigzag pattern, which symbolizes the yin and the female. Through these themes, the cultural connotation of exorcising disasters and evil spirits, receiving blessings and welcoming good fortune, seeking good fortune and profit, and the continuous reproduction of life are expressed. It can even be said that the simple desire to reproduce has been an eternal theme since ancient times.
"Tiger" Laiwu Anonymous
Ancestor Chong
