Time-Honored Chinese Paper Cutting Art (II)

Chinese paper-cut work: Fu

Paper-cut is a type of cutting art, as well as the most popular folk art in China, paper-cut can give people visual space through feelings and artistic enjoyment, whose carrier can be paper, gold foil, bark, leaves, cloth, skin, leather and other sheet-like materials.

Chinese paper-cut work: Have a surplus every year

* History of Chinese pape-cut: The folk paper-cut handicraft in China has its own process of formation and development, the great invention of paper in China was finished in the Western Han Dynasty in the BC era (6th century BC), before this time there is no base for the production of paper-cut art, but at that time people applied with flake materials, and through carving techniques to make handicrafts, but these art forms has been popular before the invention of paper, namely at that time with techniques of carving, engraving, picking and cutting people were able to applied to cut patterns on gold foils, leather, silk fabric and even in leaves…

Chinese paper-cut work: Cattle

The earliest China's artwork of paper-cut are two anthocephalus flower paper-cuts, which were discovered by Chinese archaeologists in tombs of ancient north Astana near Gaochang ruins in China Xinjiang Turpan Basin in 1967, these two paper-cuts are both made of linen paper, and all are folded fete paper-cuts, and the discovery has provided practical evidence for the formation of Chinese paper-cut.

(not finished to be continue...)

Time-Honored Chinese Paper Cutting Art (I)

Paper-cutting, also known as cut paper, paper-cut for window decoration, or picture cutting, the difference between which is some with scissors, some with knife, and some with chisels, although the tools are different, but the created art works are basically same, and people call it paper-cutting collectively.



Chinese paper-cutting is one of the most popular traditional decorative art styles in China, has a long history. For its material is easy to get and low-cost, the finished work of which can be seen immediately. and to be adapted widely, as well as varied styles & common and lively images, the Chinese paper-cutting is welcomed by most of people in China, more because it is a handwork job that most suitable for rural women to do in spare time, it not only could used as for practical objects, but also to beautify the living. Paper-cut can be seen all over the country, and even has formed different art styles in different areas.

Paper-cutting not only has represented masses’ aesthetic interest, but also indicated the nation's social deep psychology, it is one of the most Chinese featured folk art styles, in particular its design features is worth studying.


As a manifestation of the Chinese origin philosophy, the expression forms of Folk paper-cutting performed comprehensive, as well as conveys beauty and good fortune, at the same time, with its own special expression language, the folk paper-cutting conveyed the connotations and essence of traditional culture.

On May 20, 2006, the paper cutting art was admitted by the State Council to list in the first batch of National Intangible Cultural Heritage Directory. On June 8, 2007, Shanghai Li Shoubai Paper-Cut Masters Studio achieved the first cultural heritage gold prize awarded by the National Ministry of Culture.


Paper cutting can be divided into single color paper-cut and combined color paper-cut from color, and paper-cut that been cut by a single color paper called single color paper-cut, it just like the single-color wood carving in carving pictures, it is the most usual form, this type or paper-cut works seemed very simple and style in good taste, while the combined-color paper-cut are works cut from papers in different colors, this type of form are unusual, and this type of art works looked very vivid and lively.

* Original address of this China gift post: China Gift and Fine Arts & Crafts in China