Tiger and deer paper-cut patterns and production tutorials
The tiger is often called the "white tiger" in traditional Chinese culture. Because it is located in the west among the twenty-eight constellations, and the west belongs to gold in the five elements, and gold is white, so it is called White tiger. Because the tiger is the god of war and killing, fierce and just, it can play the role of warding off evil spirits, warding off disasters, praying for good fortune, punishing evil, and promoting good. The appearance of tigers in paper-cut patterns often expresses the paper-cut creators desire for wealth and blessings. pray. The paper-cut image of deer is a more common animal in traditional works. Since the pronunciation of the word "deer" is the same as the pronunciation of the word "Lu", people often add the word "deer" next to it when creating related paper-cut works. There is a "lucky rat" and a longevity male on it to express the meaning of "good fortune, wealth and longevity", which is very suitable as a gift to the elderly.
1. Preparation: Take two pieces of colored paper and fold them twice to make each piece into four layers, or take eight pieces of colored paper and staple them into two pieces.
2. Tracing: Use a pencil to carefully trace the picture to highlight the majesty of the tiger and the dexterity of the deer.
3. Cutting: In folk customs, people regard the tiger as a mascot that "controls the house" and "protects the children". Therefore, tigers in folk paper-cutting are also divided into two types. One is the "fierce tiger", which is the sacred tiger that protects the house and wards off evil spirits. When cutting, it protrudes its fangs and claws. It is powerful and brave, and often expresses the angry tigers behavior
The other type is the "Aihu" type. This kind of tiger places peoples care, protection and blessing on the next generation. It is often expressed as a naive expression with a soft mouth, kind eyebrows and a kind purpose. It is mostly a static tiger, and peoples pet name for children. This is why there are many "tiger cubs" in Chinese painting. When cutting a tiger, the character "王" on the brow is highlighted (see the paper-cut work "Tiger"). This is a characteristic of folk paper-cutting shapes.
Paper-cut work "Tiger"
In folk customs, people use the homophony of deer to give the meaning of "Fu Lu". The most common folk theme "Fu Lu, Shou Xi" is an old longevity star riding a deer, holding a peach in his hand, and a crane standing beside him. There are several bats and magpies flying overhead. Among them, cranes, longevity stars, and peaches all symbolize longevity. Bats symbolize happiness, magpies represent happy events, and deer mean "lu". When cutting a deer, plum blossoms are often cut on the body as decoration. This is an exaggeration of the spots on the sika deers body, with Ganoderma lucidum in its mouth. It is also a folk theme for wishing peace and prosperity (see the paper-cut work "Ling Deer"). Common birthday themes include "Deer and Crane Spring Together".
Paper-cut work "Spiritual Deer"
