Tracing the Origin of Folk Paper-cutting

Paper-cutting is also commonly known as "flower-cutting" among the people. Cutting flowers to express feelings is the most popular way of expression among the people. Happy events at home are inseparable from paper-cut "happy flowers"; when a wedding is held and a new wife is married, ceiling flowers that mean "harmony, happiness," and "wealth and reunion" should be decorated; "Mandarin ducks playing in the water" and "Connected Flowers" should be cut and pasted around the kang and along the walls. (Lotus), there will be more than (fish) in every year" to symbolize the couples century-long good relationship and "continuous wealth"; when the child is full moon, the husbands family will not only give "tiger head hat", "tiger head shoes", "flower bellyband" and other " "Embroidery work", red and green paper-cuts are also given to express blessings; "Fu Lu flowers" and "Longevity flowers" are given for the birthdays of the elderly; when there is a funeral in the family, plain "funeral flowers" and "paper-made flowers" are given; sacrifices are made Use "table flowers", "candlestick flowers", "bucket flowers" - as for the upper flowers, sole flowers, apron flowers, apron flowers, dress flowers, pillow flowers, and purse flowers that are related to daily life - there are all kinds and beautiful ones. In the real four seasons and eight seasons, flowers fly everywhere in food, clothing, housing and transportation.

The "Sweeping Goddess" and "Sweeping Goddess Wife" have a long history in folk paper-cutting in the Central Plains and Northwest China. Whenever there is a long drought or floods, women are asked to cut paper figures out of red and green paper and hang them on the eaves or stick them on trees to show "sweeping the sky", commonly known as "sweeping empress". . If there is no rain for a long time, pray for "clouds and rain to be swept away." If there is continuous rain and flooding, the dark clouds will be swept away and the sky will clear up. In some farmers' homes in mountainous areas, paper-cut "temples" are still enshrined. ", "god statue" for protection and protection, Nari is auspicious!

The famous folk paper-cut artist Liu Lanyings paper-cut work "Sweeping Goddess"

The development of any society is first of all the development of people. It is the change of the collective spirit and the leap of thoughts and emotions of the broadest and most common people in social reality. Folk culture is the aggregation and transmission of the common emotions of the broad masses of people, and represents the mainstream consciousness of regional society. In the real society, exploring the objective laws of nature and affirming the existence of society and the meaning of life are eternal themes of concern to the majority of workers. As a direct way to express collective peoples emotions, the utilitarian tendency shown in the aesthetic characteristics of folk paper-cutting is a simple will to survive, seek benefits and avoid harm based on good. It is an idealized compensation for the real reality and a spiritual quality. materialization conversion.

Farm women living in the vast land are hard-working, intelligent, honest and kind. Paper-cutting and embroidery is an important way for them to reappear their personality and affirm their value. The process of paper-cutting and accumulation of experience allow them to dilute their spiritual suffering, get closer to their true nature, and create beautiful scenes. The real means and process. The infiltration of regional customs and the needs of real life have made them familiar with the sophistication and customs of the folk world. They naturally inherited the folk customs passed down by their predecessors and became their own practical way to connect with the group through their personal insights into reality. Paper-cutting is the soul of rural women. Singing (for details, see: Characteristics of paper-cutting and paper-cutting art) is a natural manifestation of women’s natural love for beauty, and it is also the beautiful destination of working women’s real life and ideal state of beauty!

Author: Gou Bin, School of Fine Arts, Luoyang Normal University