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Xinjiang ethnic minority paper-cut themes

Xinjiang ethnic minority paper-cut themes Xinjiang ethnic minority paper-cut themes

The main contents of folk paper-cutting themes are similar. First of all, it is reflected in the themes that reflect the history of the nation. In the skin-cutting, cloth-cutting, silk-cutting, felt-cutting, and paper-cutting of the Uighur, Kirgiz, Mongolian, Kazakh and other ethnic groups, tribal wars, ethnic origins, and tribal heroes have all appeared. content topics. For example, the felt paper-cut patterns of the Kirgiz people resemble ancient military tents. The top of the circular tent is decorated with cut tribal emblems, and is surrounded by knives, guns, swords, halberds and ethnic flags, as well as cattle, sheep, horses, etc. The animals form a military picture reflecting the ancient battlefield, symbolizing their bravery and prowess in fighting; the Kazakh and Mongolian paper-cut patterns express prayers for hunting safety and success: wild deer and wild goats are in the middle, and mountains and rivers are on the left and right. , behind the mountain are hunting knives, guns, and utensils, and on the upper and lower sides are prayer patterns. Through these paper-cut patterns, we can vaguely find the historical facts of the battles that took place in the history of these nations and the struggles of their ancestors.


The second is themes that reflect religious overtones. Influenced by totem worship, people choose certain animals and plants as symbols of their nation and ancestors, worship them as gods, and copy them on various folk handicrafts, hoping to be blessed by them. Paper-cutting is the first to bear the brunt and becomes this kind of people. The simplest expression of primitive worship. The totem shapes worshiped by various ethnic groups in Xinjiang, such as wolves, white swans, dragons and phoenixes, sun and moon, mountains and rivers, and sky, are often retained in skin-cutting, felt-cutting, and paper-cutting patterns. For example, the Kazakhs worship an owl as a "condor", insert its auspicious feathers on the top of a girls hat, and cut them into feather patterns with cloth or leather, and embroider them around the feathers, or cut them into owls and their deformations out of paper or felt. They are embroidered or decorated in the form of hangings on hanging accounts and hung on the walls for worship as idols of worship. There are also religious or belief-type themes such as the worship of Buddhist gods, the worship of Allah and the Quran in Islam, the worship of nature by shamanism, the worship of light and fire by Zoroastrianism, and so on.


Xinjiang ethnic minority paper-cut themes

Once again, it is an aesthetic theme that reflects nature. It mainly describes the natural scenery around the living area and the natural features of the place where the ethnic group lives. Some of the ethnic groups in Xinjiang regard the sun, moon, and mountains and rivers as sacred objects of worship, while others regard grasslands, white clouds, hillsides, cattle, sheep, and eagles as protection for their survival. Especially the shapes of mountains and grass are popular in various types of folk paintings.They can be found in paper-cutting, but they are mostly used as lace decorations. They are folded and cut in half to give people a sense of undulations, majesty and transparency. All ethnic groups have deep feelings for the places where they live: the Uyghurs on the edge of the desert cherish flowers, geometric patterns, and birds and animals; the Kazakhs, Kirgiz, and Mongolians who are grassland herders love grass, trees, and cattle, sheep, camels, and dogs. They especially like the patterns composed of the beautiful horns of sheep and deer; while the Han and Hui people like to cut patterns with auspicious meanings. These themes are mainly expressed in the form of felt flowers, leather flowers, cloth flowers, etc., and are mostly used for window decoration, wedding and funeral customs, religious rituals, embroidery patterns, floral felt patterns, printing and dyeing paper patterns, tribal symbols and other types of paper-cutting. middle.


There are also themes that reflect national folklore. Paper-cut works are mainly adapted and created by Han and Uyghur folk artists based on the epics, myths, folk songs, legends and stories of each ethnic group. Almost all ethnic groups in Xinjiang have epics that reflect their national aesthetics and ethnic origins: there are national heroic epics that reflect historical events and characters, such as "Manas" by the Kirgiz people, "Janggar" by the Mongolian people, and "Jiangar" by the Kazakh people. Aripamis", etc.; there are long poems reflecting political thoughts and philosophical views, and the Uyghurs "The Wisdom of Happiness", etc.; all of them describe in detail the historical facts of the various ethnic groups in history who fought bravely despite hardships and created a better life for all ethnic groups. . Many patterns of Xinjiang ethnic folk paper-cuts are developed from it. For example, the sheep pattern is based on "Aries is the god of misfortune and fortune", while the patterns of mountains, animals, and water are based on the legendary "iceberg". It was developed from the "Legend of the Father", "The Legend of Brunkule (Lake)", "The Legend of Kuotazkara (The Cows Mouth)" and so on.

handmade paper cutting:Xinjiang ethnic minority paper-cut themes