Introduction to Dai folk paper-cutting
Most of the Dai paper-cuttings are used as offerings to "defeated Buddhas" and decorations in temples. They are mostly affixed to sacred trees, sacred trees and flags in temples. As offerings for believers to worship gods and Buddhas, the paper-cut contents are mostly religious themes and scenes of monks’ life, including patterns of Buddha statues, pagodas, temples, Bodhisattvas, gods, Bodhi trees, etc., as well as scenes depicting religious and folk activities such as destroying Buddhas and chasing pendulums; animations; The plant patterns include elephants, peacocks, cows and sheep, plantains, coconut trees, etc., showing the subtropical natural style.
In form, Dai paper-cutting mainly includes umbrella flowers, wall flowers, hanging lamps, hanging banners, Buddha banners, and Buddha box flowers, which are a reflection of the social style and folk customs of the Dai people. The Dai paper-cuts include Buddhist paper-cuts and window grilles, while daily paper-cuts are rare. Even the paper-cuts used in daily life are mostly Buddhist-themed. The paper-cut figures and hanging tags used in funerals were learned from the surrounding Han people. The Dai paper-cutting has a distinctive national color, with many variations in techniques and beautiful styles. There are some differences between regions: in Dehong area, the parasols, lanterns, and pans for Buddha are all decorated with paper-cutting techniques. Pagodas, temples, peacocks, elephants, golden deer, lotus flowers, water purification bottles, donors, etc. are common motifs; Xishuangbanna Dai paper-cutting is mainly used as a printed version of "gold water", all are incised, and the composition is traditional and simple Varies, depending on the location of the decoration.
The motifs are mainly animals, plants, Bodhisattvas and pagodas related to Buddhism, with both concrete and abstract patterns used to complement each other; the Lincang Dai people are comic paper-cuts, the content of which is Buddhist scriptures, stories and folklore, with a flat strip composition. The plot of the story is divided into thousands of scenes, separated by flowers and houses, and the characters are depicted in a general way and concise carving. There are also embroidered Buddhist pans based on paper-cut patterns, which use familiar life and scenery to interpret Buddhist scripture stories. The lower part of each Buddhist pan has two embroidered pieces on the front and back. A pair of Buddhist pans form a set. Use four pieces of embroidery to tell a story.
